


As Per Usual Meeting You

by Eurazba



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: FACE Family, Fantasy, Fantasy Violence, FrUK, M/M, Magic, Oc is antagonist, Romance, RusCan - Freeform, SiberianMoose, Two timelines, Very Minor, two lifetimes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-10-19 07:18:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10634979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eurazba/pseuds/Eurazba
Summary: Ivan meets Matthew in the oddest of ways, but from this meeting blooms a new relationship that must break the force that threatens the livelihood of their families and themselves.Reposting from FF.net





	1. We Meet Again and Again

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally written when I was in middle school, it has been heavily edited since then (about 4 years later) but I do apologize for anything that seems off.

It had been a boring day at school for Ivan Braginski. He went to classes, did his work, and ate lunch with his two sisters, as per usual. He felt that this would just be another day that would pass by, unimportant. But today was important, even if nobody knew it. It was November 7th, a beautiful fall day with a light wind and gorgeous autumn trees dropping their faded orange leaves everywhere to blow in the wind.

For Ivan, it wasn't until the end of the school day that normality decided to take a break and let chaos take over for a bit. Ivan's life would take a skip on its path simply from the coincidental running into Matthew Williams twice in the hallway.

Ivan was at his locker getting the items that he needed for his last class of the day. The hallway was generally quiet with a few students chatting with each other here and there. About to close his locker, Ivan heard it; a voice. There was laughing and the fast pace of feet hitting the ground coming closer and closer to Ivan. It He turned around to see who it was, but he recognized the obnoxious laugh and felt his skin crawl unpleasantly. That was undeniably Alfred F. Jones’ laugh.

"Hahahahaha! C'mon it was just a joke Mattie! Hahaha!" Alfred roared behind him as he ran through the halls past Ivan and the few other spectators.

Another prank, Ivan sighed internally for the poor soul that has been on the receiving end of whatever trick Alfred decided to conjure up this time. Ivan was amazed that Alfred was seen in school as much as he was, considering how many times he must have gotten expelled when his pranks went too far, and many a time that was the case.

Ivan and Alfred had a mutual distaste and distrust for each other. The latter for seeing Ivan as too imposing and violent, and the former for being on the receiving end of Alfred’s pranks few too many times. It wasn't quite hate in Ivan's mind. They avoided each other enough not to let it get too out of hand, and they were able to put their differences aside to do at least one school project together. Ivan recalls when he and Alfred worked on a small project in their chemistry class without any snide remarks or problems. Granted, Alfred was abnormally quiet and not quite his usual nuisance self, he didn't even attempt to start any fights between them. So Ivan guessed there was a certain degree where they could handle each other.

Ivan caught a quick glance at the running figure of Alfred in his typical wear of clothes and his strange WWII bomber jacket. The Large 50 stitched on the back stared at Ivan as Alfred continued past and pushed through the crowds of the hallway not stopping for anything, much less anyone.

Ivan took note of the set of clothes swinging from Alfred's hand as he ran. It looked to be the standard school gym uniform along with jeans and a red t-shirt. And... underwear? Alfred was holding someone's boxers; little red maple leaves were printed all over them in a dancing manner. Ivan frowned to himself as he realized what Alfred's prank was this time; steal someone’s clothes while they showered after their gym class. The prank was classic and evil in every way possible, but Ivan doubted the boy would actually conjure enough trouble to actually be suspended.

Another voice followed after Alfred's. This voice was much quieter, especially when compared to Alfred's own, and had a familiar ring to it that Ivan couldn't quite put his finger on. Even though the second voice was furious at Alfred, it lacked the harshness one would find in any other that had faced the same prank. Ivan tried to listen to what the other was saying before realizing they were yelling in another language. It took a moment before he recognized, of all things, a French swear thrown into the mix of unknown words.

Ivan watched as the receiver of Alfred’s prank came into viewing range, and was greeted by an odd and rather disturbing site, but nothing less than what he had expected.

Streaking by was a rather pale dirty blond that look abnormally similar to Alfred, as if they were twins, siblings, or something preposterous like that. As far as Ivan knew, though, Alfred was an only child. The student was stark naked with nothing more than his hands to cover his shame. As they sped pass Ivan, he noticed a small tattoo on his left shoulder blade in the shape of a little red maple leaf.

The two kept running down the hallway, far beyond Ivan’s locker. Ivan couldn’t keep from smiling to himself at the strange and amusing scene that had just played before him and the few other students. A hall monitor was not far behind, desperately chasing after them and panting hard from trying to keep up with the two sprinting students. He wore a bright pink vest lined with neon yellow reflector tape, not the typical hall monitor uniform Ivan saw.

"Like stop guys! Jeeze!" Called the little hall monitor. Ivan recognized Feliks, the strange Polish boy who has a not-at-all-subtle distaste for Ivan. "Like seriously guys, stop! I can't keep up, this is so not cool!" And he ran on trying to keep up with naked boy and Alfred, the two speeding rockets.

* * *

 

Ivan felt his mind wander to naked boy as he painted in his art class. He couldn't wrap his head around the strange look-alikeness to Alfred, and the lingering familiarity of his harsh-lacking French voice. If Ivan recalled right Alfred called naked boy Mattie? That rung some kind of bell, he had heard Alfred talk about a Mattie before, but other than that, Ivan had no clue who he was _._

 _‘Someone important?’_ His head supplied. ‘ _Ridiculous,’_ Ivan thought.

* * *

 

It was the end of the school day, just after Ivan's art class, and Ivan was feeling well. He may have had a pile of homework to do for the night, but his art class never failed to make the day feel better than it had been.

Ivan slowly walked up to the office to exit through the less crowded side door, Ivan reminded himself that he would be walking home alone for today as both of his sisters were busy. He did not mind, the silent walk would be welcome as opposed to Katyusha’s typical chattering about her day and Natalya’s constant close contact and murmuring under her breath.

Ivan was walking passed the office when one of the doors leading into the office flew open right in front of him. He was startled by the door and a figure crashed into him upon exiting the office doors. Ivan stumbled from the force of the contact but managed to stay standing. The other who had crashed into Ivan was not so lucky and fell backwards onto whoever was following close behind them. The two screamed as they fell over each other.

 Ivan easily regained his balance and curiously looked down at those whom had run into him. He recognized Alfred and Naked boy... Only this time naked boy wasn't naked. He wore the jeans and t-shirt that Alfred was running with earlier, and held a gym uniform in his arms. Naked boy glance up at Ivan through his crooked glasses with wide eyes.

"Oh, sorry about that," Ivan mumbled as he grabbed naked boy by the arm and hoisted him up.

"O-oh, s-sorry. Désolé," the boy whispered in a low, quiet voice while adjusting the wire rimmed glasses on his face and fixing his eyes to the ground, as if afraid to make eye contact with Ivan.

Ivan was about to help Alfred up as well, against his better judgment, but Alfred simply hopped up and onto his feet with a little "Hahaha!" Then promptly turned towards naked boy and started chatting away with him.

"Mattie! Dude! What the-" Alfred stopped himself, noticing Ivan in their way, "Oh, I get it," he growled and glared in Ivan’s direction. Alfred's eyes looked up and down Ivan, as if scanning him for any potential weapons that could be hidden on his person.

Ivan couldn't say that he was much to look at right at the moment. His hair was mussed up with bits of paint stuck in his bangs, and his eyes had deep bags under them from staying up late some nights working on his homework after helping Natalya with her own. The rest of his face and hands had various paint splotches on them from his previous art class. Not to mention Ivan's clothes, they were his same worn out jacket, scruffy pink scarf, and dull black boots that he wore near every day. He wasn't surprised to see Alfred scowl at his appearance after looking him over.

"Ya damn commie! Waddaya think you're d-"

"Alfred!" Naked boy hissed, effectively stopping Alfred’s tirade before it truly began. Naked boy turned to Ivan, "Sorry about that Ivan, he can be a little quick to judge.”

Ivan was going to shrug it off, but stopped upon realizing something. Naked boy called him Ivan, he called him by his name. Did naked boy know Ivan? As far as Ivan was concerned he didn't know naked boy... Did he? They had never met, right? He looked down at the other with confusion on his face before slowly asking "How…How do you know my name?"

Naked boy was confused but took only a moment to comprehend what Ivan had said; he sighed in a way that suggested the question was typical for him and immediately made Ivan feel bad of all things.

"Ivan, we share our chemistry and art class. You do know that, right?" Naked boy said the second part dryly with his arms crossed over his chest still holding the gym clothes. His eyes peered up at Ivan through his glasses squinting slightly as he gave Ivan a look. Are you kidding me right now?

Ivan paused and thought for a moment, a little alarm went off in his head as he vaguely recalled a quiet student in both of the classes. He had assumed them to be Alfred.

"We worked together on a small chemistry project together..." The teen continued his attempt to refresh Ivan's memory.

"But, I thought that was Alf-"

"Please." Naked boy sneered in a way that made it seem as if he was anticipating Ivan's comment.

"Hey!" Alfred finally felt it time to intervene in the conversation he obviously held little interest in, "C'mon bro. Let’s go home. He obviously doesn't remember who you are, so we don't have to deal with this," he snaked his arm over naked boy's shoulder, giving Ivan a look of disdain.

Naked boy looked thoroughly pissed at that point, he grabbed Alfred's arm and jerked it off his shoulder. "OK! For one thing, you have detention to go to again, because of that stupid prank you played on me earlier. And who are you the one to go off judging people on who remembers me and such? You're my goddamn brother and you forget who I am sometimes. Not to mention how you almost always ignore me unless it involves pranking me with help from your bloody friends or dragging me into one of your stupide pranks when your friends won't agree to help! Now go to detention before I drag you there and insist on a worse punishment for dad to give you than what he already has planned!" Naked boy's voice had gone dark as he spoke, and while he couldn’t understand all of what was said, Ivan could feel the anger and venom in every word. Naked boy huffed from his rant and began to stomp off towards the now clear front door, leaving Ivan dumbfounded and yet very amused; while Alfred sputtered words, scared at the sudden outburst directed at him.

"Bu-but Mattie..." Alfred's voice trailed off, "I won't do it again, I promise," Alfred said softly.

"Whatever," naked boy, no Mattie, grumbled, still heading to the front door, "Hoser," he whispered for no one but himself to hear.

Alfred immediately turned to face Ivan and glared at him shoving his pointer finger in Ivan's face, "This," he gestured to his brother, "Is all your fault," and then headed in the direction of the detention classroom, leaving Ivan without a word in otherwise.

Ivan was pissed that Alfred blamed his brother's rant on him. However his anger was shoved aside and replaced by curiosity for dubbed brother, Mattie.

“Wait up!” Ivan called, jogging out the door in Mattie’s direction.

Mattie slowed and turned to partially face Ivan. His face softened a bit when he saw it wasn't his brother, but remained strained regardless. Ivan easily caught up with him.

"What do you want Ivan?" Mattie asked, his tone biting with Ivan's name.

"I was wondering if you would like to walk with me home until we have to part ways. Da?" Ivan suggested.

Mattie stopped and looked up at Ivan skeptically. Ivan once again felt amusement at the other’s actions.

"Well... umm, sure. That sounds fine, I-I guess," Mattie said almost reluctantly. He fixed his eyes back down to the ground as they slowly began walking away from the school together.

"Good," Ivan replied smiling like a kid who was trying to show off a tooth he had just lost, though most of it was covered up by his scarf.

There was a long pause between the two. They walked in silence turning at certain corners as they needed. Much of their path home was identical, and Ivan could not help but feel the increasing awkward air that the silent walking provoked with every turn. Ivan couldn’t stand it, he needed to break it, but carefully, something he was never good at.

"So, Alfred is your brother?" He made sure not to ask 'you’re Alfred's brother?' in feeling that it would poke a sensitive spot for Mattie, where people only recognized Alfred and Alfred's brother.

"Yeah. We're twins, I guess you could say. But everyone always mistakes me for Alfred," Mattie looked down and fixed his eyes onto his feet.

Ivan nodded and looked down to the ground but still kept his head high enough to see when he would need to turn. "Like I did," he said apologetically, “I am sorry for that, I didn't mean to get you two mixed up," Ivan hated apologizing, it always brought a dirty feeling to his mouth, but he knew that if he didn’t do it now, in this circumstance, he would feel like a complete ass and he did not want that.

He wanted to know Mattie, Ivan did not know why, he never felt that way about other people, but now the genuine curiosity was undeniable. And the only way to learn about others was to be delicate around them. Use the right mix of humor and send the right social cues and your one-time conversation partner could turn into someone worthwhile. Something Ivan had never been good at, making friends, but Mattie’s demeanor gave him a strange twinge of hope.

* * *

 

Matthew looked up at Ivan, who was still keeping his eyes near the ground. No one had ever really apologized for forgetting or mistaking him for his brother. The only other person to actually do that was Gilbert, and even he wasn't as sincere as Ivan was being right now. Matthew smiled at Ivan’s apology.

"Thanks Ivan. And it's okay, people get us mixed up all the time, I'm fairly used to it," he replied still smiling, that apology had made his day.

"You mean to tell me that no one ever mistook Alfred for you?" Ivan joked.

"As hard as it is to believe, no one has," Matthew followed the playful tone.

Ivan looked up turning a different direction from Matthew who continued forward into the park he needed to go through. Ivan spoke up, "I'm sorry but I need to go this way to reach my house."

Matthew's smile faded as he saw his new friend heading the other way. He didn't want Ivan to go so soon, they were just beginning to hit it off. He couldn't let Ivan leave now, "Do you wanna walk through the park with me?" Matthew asked looking back at Ivan, "It gets pretty lonely walking on my own and the park isn't too large so it won’t add much time to your own walk back to your house," he smiled softly hoping to convince Ivan to elongate their short conversation, or at least spend a bit more time with someone so sincere.

"It wouldn't hurt," Ivan shrugged, "I don't need to be home right away since my sisters are both busy after school today," he followed Matthew who was heading into the park.

"You have sisters?" Matthew asked.

"Da, I do."

"What are their names?"

"Katyusha, my older sister, and Natalia, my younger sister," Ivan walked on more and furrowed his eyebrows a bit, "You know, I still don't have your full name."

"Hmm?” Matthew picked up on Ivan’s use of the words “full name” as if he did know Matthew’s first name at least, and didn’t blatantly ask who he was earlier, "My name is Matthew, Matthew Williams," he answered.

“Matthew?” Ivan looked as if he had remembered him, just a little though, "There are many Matthew’s at our school, can I give you a nick name?”

“Uhh, sure,” Matthew had never been asked if he could be given a nickname, he just assumed they were dealt out freely as a term of endearment or, more often than not, as mocking chants to those no one bothered to learn the name of, like himself.

“Hmm…” Ivan thought over it long and hard, every passing second made Matthew’s stomach flutter with anticipation, “If I remember correctly there is a nice Russian variation to the name Matthew, it’s, Matvey. Do you mind if I call you that?”

“No, it’s wonderful.” Matthew felt a burst of happiness from his stomach, a nickname that was all intended for him and held no malicious intent. Matthew couldn’t keep the smile from his face.

This was going to be a wonderful friendship indeed.


	2. The park, Homes, the Park

Ivan remembered a student named Matthew introducing himself at the beginning of the school year as they all had. Ivan had taken no real interest in Matthew at the time with his being a quiet student. Then somehow, Matthew just became invisible in those classes, just another student trying to avoid trouble and get out of school as fast as he could. Somehow, Ivan found himself interested in the other now, probably from his little fiasco earlier, and from his boldness that he showed towards Alfred and Ivan. He found himself wanting to find out the hidden quirks that held. Maybe it was Matthew’s high potential to become Ivan’s friend, he had never had such an opportunity before.

The two walked through the park side-by-side, trying to learn more about the other and bond in whatever short time they could.

"So, what is it like having Alfred for a brother?" Ivan began his light probing.

"Well," Matthew laughed, "It depends on the day. He can be a nuisance with his constant pranks and childish behavior. Not to mention his lack of volume control," Matthew sighed, still with a lop-sided smile upon his face, "He really is a pain, but he's my brother, and you always end up loving your siblings regardless of the troubles they cause you."

"Da, I know what it is like. My sisters can also be bothersome, but they are my sisters. I care for them and would do anything to make sure they are safe," Ivan faltered as if the thought alone hurt him, “They are some of the most important people in my life.”

Matthew barely caught Ivan’s hesitation at the mention of his sisters, and couldn’t help but feel grateful for being able to catch a moment where Ivan revealed something he truly cared about, "Katyusha and Natalya, yes? Natalya is the one in lacrosse, exact?"

"Da."

"She's pretty good isn't she?"

"Of course. One of the best on the team," Ivan said with pride.

“And Katyusha, we’ve hung out once or twice before, I guess you could say we’re friends…” Matthew trailed off a bit with his words.

"What do you mean by that?" Ivan asked lowly, he could not help but feel defensive for his sisters.

"Well..." Matthew's voice trailed off even more, “More friendly acquaintances than anything.”

"... Do you like her?" Ivan asked bluntly, a small yet intimidating smile grazed his lips.

"Not like _that_.”

“Good, because if you did, I would need to do extensive research on you to make sure that you would be right for her," Ivan looked over Matthew with the same protective look Alfred had when someone “unsavory” came too close to Matthew, but with more mirth to it, "Tsk, And I don't think you would been approved."

"Hey. What do you mean ‘I wouldn’t approve’?" He looked away from Ivan, but Matthew’s lightheartedness in the statement was undeniable. Ivan felt more relaxed in his levity. Matthew stuffed his hands into his coat pocket with a small huff. The two continued along quietly.

Ivan looked around at the park; he noted mentally how strange it was. Trees towered over Ivan and Matthew as they walked along the long twisting sidewalk that was covered with colorful autumn leaves; they occasionally swirled in the light wind. Every once in a while they would pass a park bench; nearly all of the benches were empty. In fact, the whole park _was_ empty, just Ivan and Matthew passing through. This made their walk together all the more peaceful.

Ivan brought his eyes to Matthew. He was wrapped up in a loose red sweatshirt that made him look like he had more bulk than what was really there. It seemed to keep him warm against the cool wind that played with his hair. Ivan noticed how Matthew's hair was colored similarly to Alfred's, a soft dirty blond color, but his seemed to glow more with a smooth golden shine in the warm sunlight. Matthew must have taken better care of his hair than Alfred did, which really wasn't such a surprise since Alfred could get quite messy. Also unlike Alfred, Matthew's hair was longer and wavy. It fell to his chin and framed his warm face nicely.

Ivan took in more of Matthew's features and it occurred to him how much of a difference there was in the two brothers. He felt stupid for ever mistaking the two for each other (though he only ever mistook Matthew for Alfred.) He looked at Matthew's eyes, which had darted their way back to observing Ivan. They were purple, bright, and looked like they held all goodness in the world within their warmth. They were very unlike the cold, dark amethyst purple that Ivan had, they could pierce through anyone. No, Matthew’s eyes held a kindness to them that Ivan has scarcely encountered before. He felt ridiculously warm at the thought.

Matthew turned his head slightly and peeked at Ivan through the corner of his eye. There was something that Matthew's eyes were hiding too; something old that haunted the depth of his being. _Matvey certainly is strange,_ Ivan thought to himself. Matthew continued to peek at Ivan through the corner of his eye; there was nothing more than curiosity and amusement in his gaze as it seemed to trace Ivan. _Most look at me with some kind of fear in their eyes, even those who have never met me. But there is no fear in Matvey’s eyes, at all..._ Ivan wasn’t sure how to feel about Matthew’s lack of fear for him. Did he simply not know?

"Matvey?" Ivan spoke up to break the now curious silence between them.

"Yes?”

"You know of my 'reputation' at school, da?" Ivan asked with a frightening smile crawling across his face. Surely the boy _had_ to have some kind of fear for Ivan. Right?

The smile worked, "Well, um... Y-yeah," a bit of fear entered the boy's eyes and his face dropped some of its previous curiosity to be replaced with a tiny, partly disturbed frown. He words remained confused though, "I've heard various bad rumors around about you, and I've seen you beat Gilbert nearly senseless a few times. But what about it?"

"And after knowing all that you would still agree to hang out with me _willingly?_ " Ivan was surely confused, not only had this boy heard the murderous rumors, but he had _seen_ Ivan in the act. Maybe he shouldn’t have reminded Matthew, Ivan did want to make friends, but, his doubt was beginning to cloud his better judgement.

"Well... From what I’ve seen, you only act when provoked. Every time you lashed out at Gilbert was because he was asking for it. And from the other stories I've heard you never really did those things without reason. People just assume that you’re the kind of person whom would simply do bad things for no reason," Matthew's expression calmed as he explained more, "As long as I don't go out seeking some kind of reaction from you I have no real reason to be all that afraid," he paused and looked up at Ivan smiling kindly, "And I don't think your all that bad of a person, Ivan."

"I-" Ivan stared at Matthew, unsure of how to respond.

"This is my stop," Matthew broke the silence and both stopped walking. They had reached the end of the park. They stood on the sidewalk that passed in front of the park and Ivan saw many houses before him, all neatly lined up with each other, "My house is right there across the street," Matthew pointed towards a little sky blue house nearby.

"Oh," Ivan looked around, confused at the sudden end in the large park. A tall brick wall separated the park from the street and neighborhood before them, a break right where they stood acted as a park entrance, "What street are we on?" He asked while looking to his left and right down the two directions of the street, "I might be able to make my way back to my own house," the park stretched down either direction with the sidewalk slithering next to the tall brick wall.

"Arctic Circle," Matthew answered casually.

“Oh, are you sure?"

"Yes, of course why wouldn’t I be?"

"It is just that, I too live on this street,” Ivan said looking at his still unfamiliar surroundings.

"Really? How come I haven't seen you at the park or around the neighborhood?"

"Well I don't go out and visit much with my neighbors, and I haven't really been through that park before," Ivan let out a small laugh at the situation, it seemed all too strange and coincidental. "Which streets are to my left and right?" Ivan pointed in both directions of his choice.

"Let’s see... that way is E. Kingdom Road," Matthew pointed to the right, "And to our left is Siberian Way.”

"Good, I just need to head towards Siberian Way, I live on the corner between the two streets." Ivan looked off to the left, trying to determine how much distance he would have left to walk, "Well, I'll be on my way now. Farewell Matvey, maybe we will see each other sometime soon again." Ivan waved goodbye as he turned his back to Matthew and began to head the rest of his way home.

"Hey Ivan!" Matthew quickly called out to Ivan before he got very far.

"Hmm?" Ivan stopped and turned to face Matthew, "What is it?" He asked.

"Well... I was wondering if tomorrow morning you would like to walk to school this way again, you can bring your sisters if you all walk together and of course Alfred will have to walk with all of us too... but that won't be that bad. He's very sleepy on our morning walks to school. Oh! That is, if it's not too much of a bother to you and your sisters!"

"Da, that would be nice," Ivan nodded desperately trying to hold in his glee at the simple invitation.

"Ok. See you then!" Matthew smiled and then waved off as he crossed the street to his house.

Thus they parted their ways. Each anticipating meeting up together the next morning, yet both had some sort of doubt building in the back of their minds. _Will he actually come?_

Ivan walked on the sidewalk beside the brick wall that separated the park for him. It was quiet and Ivan was alone with his thoughts. _I’ve haven’t met someone like him before, someone who was able to look at me, know full well who I was and how I’ve been known to act, and show such little fear to me. Me, the “ferocious” Ivan Braginski!_ He felt skeptical, _Or maybe, it was an act. Maybe the boy was just acting unafraid. Inside his mind was screaming for him to run for cover, but h-he was dared to do this, yeah! It was just a stupid dare by some of his friends, and he won’t show up tomorrow, he was dared to ask me that. His plan was to get my hopes up, and then the next morning he would just ditch me and my sisters._

None of Ivan’s logic made sense with what has actually occurred between his and Matthew’s meeting, but a great part of Ivan couldn’t help but believe it was true. He only just met Matthew and knew little about him, Matthew could easily put on a little act to fool Ivan. _Well I won’t let him get the upper hand on me! I won’t show up next morning! No one can fool Ivan Braginski, no one._ Ivan paused in realization, he was home, _Already?_ He questioned walking up the steps to his small porch, he quickly checked on the flowers he and his sisters planted in September. The flowers were beginning to wilt from the oncoming winter season. They had bloomed beautifully in October, but their season was ending now, Ivan hoped the seeds would hold out and replant themselves come next autumn.

Ivan’s mind wandered back to Matthew and the trip as he opened the door, _I think I will go through the park with my sisters, not because Matvey offered for me to, but because it will be a quicker way to get to school,_ Ivan reassured himself. _Besides, I will have my sisters with me and they are the only real company that I need._ The house was empty. It was just him for now. _I will see every one later, it’s okay that I am alone now, I’ve been alone plenty of times before. I need to see what we have for making dinner tonight._ Ivan chanted in his head as a distraction. He set his bag down and walked over to the kitchen. It was his night to cook dinner, but his older sister always planned what they would have for the night. The dish for tonight was easy so he could start it later. Ivan went on to work on his homework for the evening, pushing Matthew to the back of his mind for the time being.

His older sister was home next an hour or so after Ivan. She found him already starting on dinner, a blank expression on his face as he chopped vegetables. They exchanged hellos as she headed up to her room, but not without noticing through the stair railing that Ivan was mumbling to himself. It was faint, even more so than when Ivan normally mumbled to himself. When Ivan was barely audible during his mumbling, it usually meant that he was confused, Katyusha shrugged it off as “trouble with homework” deciding to help him with it later after dinner. _Vanya always looks so cute when he’s confused._ She thought to herself with a chuckle.

Soon after was Ivan’s little sister, Natalia. With her gear and equipment over one shoulder, and her backpack over the other, she was still panting from her lacrosse practice. She turned to the left to see Ivan cooking dinner in the kitchen. Her eyes trailed farther back in the house to see her sister working on homework at the dining table. A call rang through the house; Ivan was too busy to get it and asked Katyusha to. She obliged and went to pick the phone up from a clean kitchen counter. Natalia suspected it was their father. Katyusha began talking with the person on the other side of the phone; Ivan continued cooking, ignoring everything else around him, mostly just the phone though.

“ _Yes… Yes I understand, father… ok… see you then…ok, bye father.”_ Katyusha hung up the phone.

As predicted, it was their father. He was going to be home late… again. Ivan shrugged it off, and Natalia, showed her understanding with a quick nod before heading up to her room to put her things away. Tonight would be just another peaceful night between the three siblings.

They all sat down together, for dinner, each engaging in light conversation. As always, Ivan said the least, and Katyusha said the most. Ivan’s sisters talked of trivial things such as school and their day. Eventually Katyusha and Natalia brought up their feeling sorry for having to let Ivan walk home alone today. Ivan told them it was ok and that they shouldn’t worry, but decidedly left Matthew out of the conversation. He did however mention taking the park path to school.

“ _Actually, sisters, on my way home from school I took another way back through a park, and I think it would be a faster way to and from school for us,”_ Ivan offhandedly stated.

 _“Why did you take another way home brother?”_ Natalia asked. It was unusual for Ivan to make any sort of change in his life’s schedule.

“… _Someone suggested the way to me,”_ Ivan responded, his words moving slow.

“ _Oh, a friend? Who was it?”_ Katyusha asked. Both of Ivan’s sisters were well aware that Ivan didn’t have many friends and looked pointedly at him. He would not succumb to the pressure of their piercing gazes.

“ _Just someone from class. He and I have done a project together before, no one really important,”_ Ivan tried to brush it off; there was no need to get anybody’s hopes up. _“But I think we should take the park to school, it would be faster,”_ Ivan felt silly steering the conversation back to his original topic but it was the only think he could think up to keep his sisters from focusing on his mystery person.

Both his sisters nodded, “ _Yes that sounds fine Ivan,”_ Katyusha responded in a way that suggested she dropped the other topic for now but she would certainly bring it up at a later time, much to Ivan’s grievance.

Ivan went straight to bed after dinner, feeling tired as he always did. That night, he dreamed of a tornado moving towards him and a blurry faced figure until it consumed them.

* * *

 

Matthew pulled his keys from his pocket and fumbled with them before jabbing the house key into the keyhole. He twisted the key only to find that his effort was for nothing, the door was already unlocked. _Papa must be home now,_ Matthew thought as he pushed through the doorway. Just as the boy presumed, his papa, Francis, was there to greet him.

“Bonjour Matthieu!” Francis said happily engulfing his son in a near bone-crushing hug, “ _How are you_?” He asked, releasing his son. Matthew took his papa’s French as an obvious note that his dad, Arthur, wasn’t home. Arthur didn’t like the ‘froggy language’ as so he called it, so the only time Francis ever spoke it around Arthur was when he wanted to get a rise out of him (which was quite fun to Francis).

“ _Nit bad_ ,” Matthew said with a shrug. He closed the door behind him.

“ _And where is your brother?_ ” Francis asked looking behind Matthew.

“Détention,” Matthew responded plainly, looking past his papa to avoid having to explain _why_ his brother was in detention.

“ _Of course_ ,” Francis sighed.

The phone chose then to ring. Francis shimmied over to it sitting in the cradle on the kitchen counter. Matthew set his school bag on a stool near the said counter and leaned in to hear who his father was talking to.

“ _Hello, Kirkland-Bonnefoy residence, who may I ask is calling?_ ” Francis sang on the phone.

“Francis,” Matthew heard Arthur growl over the phone, “We’ve gone over this you twit, there’s a caller I.D. so that you needn’t ask that and so that you answer in the correct damn language.”

“Of course, of course. And what might my pleasure be of a call from you ma chérie?” Francis purred into the phone.

“I just wanted to call to inform you that I will be home early, not much work for us today.”

“Good, good. I was wondering if you would like to help me cook dinner tonight,” Francis gave a knowing look to Matthew as he paled. There was an unspoken rule between Matthew and his papa, saying that should Alfred get in trouble, Francis would let Arthur help with that night’s meal. Any other time they would try to keep Arthur out of the kitchen no matter what. Alfred was too oblivious to figure out the pattern, but Arthur had recently had his suspicions, of which Francis would tell him it’s a mere coincidence.

“…I suppose that sounds fine,” Arthur responded with a hint of hesitation. No matter though, Arthur always loved to cook for his family, “See you tonight love.”

“Au revoir, ma chérie!”

“Yeah, yeah, salut,” Arthur mumbled and hung up.

 “ _So would you like me to make you something to eat Matthieu_?” Francis asked.

“ _Nothing for now papa_.”

“ _Your dad is going to be cooking with me tonight_ ,” Francis reminded his son.

“… _May I have some pancakes papa_?” Matthew asked smiling sweetly, as if his father would refuse.

“ _But of course!”_

Matthew sat at the counter and pulled out some of his homework, Samira, their cat, curling into his lap while he worked. His father hummed a tune as he cooked. Matthew enjoyed the calm routine him home would take without his brother blasting the TV from the living room.

About an hour after pancakes, Arthur arrived home. He was greeted by a hug and many kisses from Francis and Matthew at the dining table working. He immediately noticed Alfred was missing. Setting down his work bag Arthur was just about to ask where his son was when the said boy came bursting through the door.

“The hero is home!” Alfred proclaimed. Francis gave him a hug as well and Matthew gave a small wave to his brother.

“Hello Alfred,” Arthur greeted, “Just getting home? I don’t recall you having any sports practice, nor do I recall you mentioning getting together with any friends after school today.”

Alfred froze. His father was home before him. It wasn’t so bad with just his papa Francis knowing, since he was a bit more nonchalant, but Arthur was much more strict about such things. Alfred looked to Matthew and his papa for some kind of help, and then looked just to his papa upon realizing Matthew probably wouldn’t help. Unfortunately for Alfred, Francis just shrugged.

“W-well… you see dad…” Alfred was drawing a blank. Matthew grinned an evil shit-eating grin that Alfred only saw from his brother when he received a pleasurable revenge.

“Yes, go on,” Arthur said pushing his son along. Alfred let out a sigh.

“I got detention,” Alfred looked down as he said it.

“And why is that?” Francis chimed in. At this Matthew frowned and looked away.

“I-um… kinda stoleMattie’sclothesfromhisgymlocker and thenwewentonahighspeedchasedownthehallwaywhereMattiewascompletelynaked,” Alfred said in two breaths.

“You WHAT?!?!?!” His fathers asked in unison.

 Francis when over to the somewhat embarrassed Matthew and gave him a hug, “Oh my poor Matthieu!” Francis exclaimed over-dramatically.

Matthew gave a muffled “I’m ok now papa,” from his father’s chest.

“Just go to your room,” Arthur said in a huff, “Work on your homework and don’t come down until dinner, understand?” Arthur gave his son a irritated look, “I’ll think of a proper punishment for you later young man.”

With a huff Alfred pattered upstairs to his room. Arthur went over to Matthew, whom had been released from Francis’ tight hug.

“Are you ok lad?” He asked, ruffling Matthew’s hair a bit. Francis immediately straitened it back out giving Arthur a look of ‘don’t touch.’ Matthew simply nodded.

“Good,” Arthur smiled down at his son, “I’ll be right back to help you with dinner Francis.” Arthur trotted up the stairs leaving Francis and Matthew to share a look of discontent.

Dinner passed normally. Alfred complained about Arthur’s cooking, earning smack upside the head, and a short lecture about food quality that no one at the table bothered to listen to. Francis and Arthur somehow got into another irate discussion over something trivial with Alfred adding his two cents in whenever he could, even if it didn’t even relate to what his fathers were going on about.

 Matthew couldn’t bother to listen in on any of them, they were all really stupid some times. No, as he sat at the table, his mind wandered back to Ivan of all things. Ivan was… interesting, if a bit disturbed from Matthew’s past knowledge of Ivan. Matthew, however, felt that from their encounter he had found an Ivan that was beyond all the rumors. Sure he was still fairly intimidating, but Matthew, being the optimist he is felt that there was much more to Ivan, and today’s encounter only fed his feelings/suspicions.

Another thought crossed his mind: What if Iva- “Yo Mattie!”

Matthew’s head shot up from the palm he had it resting in, “Wh-what?” He was broken out of his trance-like state to meet his fathers and brother giving him looks of concern.

“Elbows off the table,” Arthur started, Matthew did as he was told.

“Are you ok Matthieu?” Francis Asked

“Yeah Mattie, you were looking kinda sad there for a bit,” Alfred cut in.

“Huh? Oh! No, I was just thinking, that’s all,” Matthew said to his family, still dazed.

“What were you thinking about?” Francis asked. Alfred and Arthur watched him for an answer.

“…” Matthew squirmed under all the attention, never having gotten used to it, “N-nothing, just stuff, about school.”

Arthur shrugged it off; and Alfred didn’t want to continue lest Matthew was thinking about the prank. Francis shot his son another quick look of concern before deciding to let it go and continue with his meal.

Matthew quickly finished up the rest of his homework after dinner. His fathers had settled down for a movie, whilst Alfred had headed back up to his room. Matthew shuffled upstairs to read without the noises of the TV bothering him.

Alone in his room, Matthew’s mind began to wander away from his book as he thought back to Ivan. His eyes continued to read while his mind thought. Ivan, he seemed like a trustworthy person, but it occurred to Matthew that they weren’t quite friends yet. There would need to be more time before the feeling is mutual. His previous doubts from the dinner table came back, _What if Ivan forgets to take the parkway? …What if Ivan forgets him?_ It had happened before, Matthew was a well forgotten person, that or mistaken. Ivan had thought he was Alfred previous… _I shouldn’t count on it; this will probably end up like the other times. He won’t come because he will forget tomorrow. Then what? I would have gotten my hopes up for nothing. I shouldn’t count on it; he won’t be there._ Matthew shook himself from his thoughts when he was about to turn the page in his book. He had no idea what he had just read the last page. “Zut, I did it again.”

* * *

 

The brisk wind flew into Matthew’s face and whirled around bringing his hair in front of his eyes. He walked down the familiar stairway on his front porch pushing his hair out of the way. He rubbed his eyes and looked across the street to see something he didn’t expect, Ivan and his two sisters all walking together towards the park.

 _He remembered?_ Was Matthew’s first thought. The thought was quickly thrown out of his mind as he ran across the street. “Ivan!” Matthew called out cheerfully. Three heads all turned his way just as they were about to enter the park. Ivan looked surprise for some reason, Katyusha was confused, and Natalya kept a straight face, her eyes glued to Matthew. Matthew trotted right up to the three siblings. “Hello Ivan!” Matthew greeted.

Ivan’s mouth gaped a bit. Matthew smiled. The four of them stood in silence before Katyusha spoke up.

“Alfred?” She asked.

Matthew’s expression dropped a bit from hearing this, but he kindly corrected her, “Ah, no I’m Matthew, remember?”

Katyusha looked him over for a moment before her face lit up, “Oh yes! Matthew. Good Morning Matthew.” She said jumping over and hugging him.

“Good morning Katyusha,” he said softly in her tight hug.

“Oh! Matthew I’m so sorry for mistaking you for your brother!”

“Oh, no, no it’s okay!” He reassured her.

Katyusha offered a weak smile to him. At this Ivan decided to speak up.

"Matvey?” He asked in disbelief, though Matthew wasn’t sure as to why.

“Good Morning Ivan. How are you?” Matthew said with a polite smile. Natalya’s eyes were still glued to the strange boy that her siblings knew, “Oh! And you must be Natalya, it’s nice to meet you,” Matthew offered his hand to the figure that was latched onto Ivan’s left arm.

Natalya didn’t move. She looked from his hand to Matthew’s eyes. He offered a small smile, but she still did nothing. After a bit of silence Katyusha spoke up.

“Natalya can be shy when meeting new people. But she very open once you get to know her,” Katyusha informed Matthew.

“Ah, I see,” Matthew said putting his hand down.

“Speaking of siblings,” Ivan broke in, “Where is your annoying one?”

Matthew didn’t respond, instead giving a light chuckle and raising his hand count down from five on his fingers. Five… four… three… two… one.

Once Matthew held up nothing but a fist, Alfred came bursting from his house across the street. Food hung from his mouth, he was desperately trying to put his jacket on, inside out, and his backpack was lazily slung over one shoulder wide open, “Yo Mattie wait up!” he called to Matthew.

Matthew turned around to his brother, watching as he ran across the street and nearly got hit by a car. The car swerved in time as Alfred danced out of its way. “WHHHHAAAAAA!!” Alfred screamed. Both car and Alfred came out unharmed but Alfred’s shock was plastered across his face.

“…Smooth,” Matthew said to his brother.

Ivan couldn’t help but laugh at the amusing sight, his older sister joining him, Alfred looked up at him, “Whaddaya looking at?” He said puffing up his chest, “Ya-“ Alfred stopped suddenly before bringing himself together, “Why hello ladies,” He purred completely changing his demeanor from moments ago, “And what might the pleasure be that I meet you to here?”

They both look at him strangely, Ivan glared, and Matthew sighed. Katyusha decided to answer him, “We were just heading to school Alfred.”

“So I suggest we get moving so that we are not late,” Ivan grumbled.

“Oh, why of course!” Alfred said and took a few steps forward into the park, everyone followed behind him. Alfred then swung around and began walking backwards whilst holding out his hand, "I'm Alfred, nice to meet you!" He put on his 100 watt smile.

"Katyusha," she took his hand politely and shook it with a sweet smile.

"And who might you be my dear?" Alfred then asked Natalya, bringing his hand over to her.

"…" Natalia simply stared at the hand then looked up at Alfred, she stayed silent.

The same explanation about Natalia's shyness was given to Alfred, "Oh, I understand..." he said. Alfred spun again facing forward to walk through the park, a skip in his step and a tired, smile on his face. It was much too early to have so much energy.

Katyusha turned to Matthew and Ivan walking side by side, "So Matvey, Ivan, Are you two friends? How is it that you know each other? It’s nice to see Ivan get along with someone and make some more friends! How long have you known each other? Do you have any funny stories to share? How did you two meet?” She bombarded them with question after question, both boys were walking and looking at her with nervous faces, “Oh, I am sorry; I did not mean to ramble.”

"O-oh that’s okay, I tend to ramble myself,” Matthew said shaking off the sock of the unexpected questions directed his and Ivan’s way. Matthew proceeded to answer each of her questions, “Yes we are friends. We know each other because we have a couple of classes together. Yes, that is nice to see. We have known each other for about two months, but only met with proper introductions yesterday. No, we don’t have any funny stories to share, maybe some other day. We officially met yesterday when I accidentally ran into him walking out of the office,” Each question was answered one by one quickly and effectively. Ivan looked over at Matthew in relief; he wasn’t sure how he would answer Katyusha’s questions.

They exited the park and continued on their way Katyusha and Matthew continued to chat before Alfred decided to break in and “steal” her away as his own chatting partner. Matthew sighed but continued walking along next to Ivan. The two boys struck up some conversation from whatever Matthew and Katyusha were talking about before. The whole time Natalya held onto Ivan’s and said nothing, she kept he eyes glued to Alfred, never relenting in her glare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was a lot of nonsense I cut out of this chapter, nearly 1,000 words of it, and yet this chapter remains its nonsensical self. Samira is Neko!Seychelles.


	3. Growth and Connection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended up being incredibly short unfortunately. The essence of what this chapter and the one following it have since been demolished as they did not properly pertain to the plot.

Over the next couple of weeks Ivan and Matthew spent more time together and got to know each other quite well. They sat together during art and shared their mutual interest, and even joined each other during lunch, much to the dismay of the others Matthew sat with. Every morning Matthew, Ivan, and their siblings would walk to school, though the afternoons were often left to just Matthew and Ivan with Alfred and Natalya’s sports and Katyusha’s clubs or social gatherings after school. Ivan enjoyed the new company; it was pleasant compared to everyone who tried to avoid him. Matthew was also fond of all the new attention he was receiving, though he had yet to become completely used to it.

It was end of their art class and Matthew and Ivan watched as Tino, the cheerful Finnish kid Matthew usually sat by before he began to sit with Ivan, finished presenting his piece for their most recent project. Tino went to sit down and Mr. Vargas took the opportunity to stand up and address the class before it officially ended.

"Before you head off, class, I want to give the last project for the semester to all of you today," He began. The class leaned forward in anticipation, "This project will focus on portraiture, you will have to work with a partner and yes I am allowing you to choose your partners." Murmurs spread throughout the room between students, many already choosing their partners, "Alright, alright, quiet down. Now unfortunately with our limited class time before you need to present at the end of the semester I am encouraging you to work together after school when you can."

Mr. Vargas continued to explain everything the final project consisted of. The art class was to create a portrait of their partners using a medium of their choice. The portrait was supposed to have a facial image of the person, but also something that more represents the student, such as a signature to them.

"Now please come up to the front desk and write down your partners on the paper as you leave, if you can’t find one, stay after class with me." Mr. Vargas placed the sheet on the front desk. The bell rang and students scurried forward to sign up and for a quick escape.

Matthew turned to Ivan and smiled, "Would you like to be my partner Ivan?" He asked politely.

"Matvey, there is no need to ask, of course I will be your partner." Ivan answered cheerfully.

"I just wanted to check, no need to assume," Matthew said as he moved towards the front desk next to Ivan.

A small line had formed in front of the desk but moved quickly as each pair of student wrote down the person of their choosing. Matthew quickly scribbled down his and Ivan's names on the paper right next to each other before heading out into the halls.

"For our project Ivan," Matthew began as they moved through the crowded hallways, "You could come to my house on Friday and then stay the night, if you’d like?" He proposed.

"Da, that sounds nice Matvey," Ivan replied without a beat.

"Wonderful! I’ll have to check with my parents to see if it's fine with them, of course. But I don’t think it will be a problem."

Ivan simply nodded. Excitement built up in his chest at the prospect of actually going to another friend's house and sleeping over, he had never really done that before, though he had never really gotten the chance to be good friends with someone before.

They met up with Katyusha and all walked home together.


	4. So Many Years to Home

Matthew sat at the dinner table with his fathers, Alfred being vacant as he was still out at his sports practice. The table sat in an odd silence as they ate, broken only by the occasional clink of silverware. Matthew barely noticed as he was currently thinking over what to do for his art final with Ivan.

"So how was school today Mathieu?" Francis asked, ending the silence.

"Hmm? Oh it was fine papa," Matthew replied absentmindedly, "We started our final project in art today."

"Oh? And what project is this?" Arthur asked.

"A partner portrait project," Matthew answered, "My friend and I are working together, we were wondering if he could come over to our house this Friday and stay the night."

"Do we know this friend of yours?" Francis inquired.

"No, I met him a little bit ago, but we’ve made great friends in our short time," Matthew found himself grinning at the thought of him and Ivan. It was true, in such a short time Matthew felt as if he had known Ivan for years and not a mere couple of weeks.

"What is his name?" Arthur asked. He and Francis took notice at how merely mentioning this friend brought a smile across their son’s face.

“Ivan Braginski.”

His fathers stopped, their eyes widening in shock. Arthur, having been taking a drink, choked a bit on his drink and began to cough furiously.

"Dad! Are you okay?!" Matthew exclaimed.

Arthur coughed for another minute or so, Francis rubbing his back to calm him. There was a moment of pause as Arthur took a deep breath. The breath came out rather shaky but Arthur seemed to pay it no mind as he took another drink of his water to smooth himself out. He let out another breath, this one not as shaky, before Francis spoke.

"Are you okay, Arthur?" He asked hand still on his husband's back.

"Yes, thank you, I'm fine," Arthur reassured them, "What did you say your friend's name was Matthew?"

"U-uh, Ivan Braginski," He answered in a lower voice, worried that merely Ivan’s name could bring such a reaction from his fathers.

Arthur and Francis sat up straight and shared a look of... worry, was it? Matthew wasn't quite sure, there were too many expressions mixed into one, but it was a knowing look between the two that was for sure. Matthew’s curiosity took over.

"Um, D-do you two know him?" He asked with caution.

"No. We do not know him personally, but we do know his father Mr. Winter," Arthur told Matthew with a less mixed expression.

"..." It was Matthew's to look a little shocked, "I assure you that however mister Winter is, Ivan is a good person."

Francis and Arthur shared another quick glance to each other, and gave Matthew a reassuring smile.

"We know Mathieu," Francis said, "You’ve always been a good judge of character." But Matthew couldn’t help but notice the look of uncertainty between his fathers.

* * *

 

Alfred had arrived home at the end of their family meal after Matthew has gotten his answer that yes, Ivan could come over this Friday. It was just before everyone would head off to bed, Matthew was in his room reading and Alfred was down in the living room working on his homework. Francis and Arthur currently sat up in their shared bedroom and were talking. They spoke quietly to each other as both men mulled over their topic of conversation.

"It’s been so long, hasn't it?" Arthur said.

"Indeed. How old are they now?" Francis asked.

"Matthew is… 17 years old, and Alfred, 16 I believe," Arthur answered.

"My, my, that long," Francis looked down, he chuckled, "I feel quite old now. Don't you?"

"Yes, very old," Arthur sat down on their bed, "Matthew said he only met Ivan a little bit ago, correct?"

"Oui, and according to your spell?"

"We have a month at most, but I can’t be too sure."

"...My, that is not much time. Are you really ready to go back home?"

"I've been ready for a while now," Arthur smiled humorlessly at Francis, his voice quiet as he spoke, "Are we sure we should let Ivan be around Matthew? You remember what he did.”

“Yes, but he was a good person before that, Matthieu knew that.”

“A good person doesn’t do something like that out of the blue, and you saw Matthew’s doubt in him afterwards,” Arthur couldn’t help knit his hands together in worry for his son.

“A good person doesn’t attempt a dangerous spell that can only be stopped by another spell that causes everyone to, how do you say, jump ship.” Francis looked pointedly at Arthur, who simply kept his head down in thought.

“I didn’t know she could do that at the time, and now we’re wiser,” He licked his lips, “And now we’re here.”

“But soon we will be back home,” Francis reminded him sternly.

“Yes. We at least have little time to brush up on the boys training. This weekend and the following, we should test their skills, and improve them as much as we can.”

"Will that be enough?” Francis asked with a newfound worry, “Are you sure Matthieu or Alfred will be ready in that time?"

"This is what we have been working on for 12 years," Arthur said, trying to reassure his husband, but his own uncertainty could not so easily be hidden.

"Yes, but she-"

"I know, but we can't change this. We knew it was going to come sooner than later, it’s inevitable.” Arthur left the conversation at that before shuffling off to change into his jams.

Francis slipped under the covers and shimmied out of his clothes, pushing them at the end of his bed under the covers to keep his toes warm, but the typically comforting action did little to distract him. He let out a yawn as Arthur came back and climbed into bed, turning out the lights in their room as he did so. Both men shuffled closer together in bed, trying to seek closure in one another. Francis planted a kiss on Arthur's cheek.

"Good night, mon cher. I hope we return to our home safely," Francis whispered.

 _If it still is our home when we return,_ Arthur thought to himself.

* * *

 

Matthew yawned as he closed his book he'd been reading, having just finished a chapter. He looked at his clock, 10:15 pm. It was late and he needed to go to sleep, lest he be late to school. As he moved about his room to get himself ready for bed, he remembered something. Matthew looked over at his calendar and smiled at the thought of his other friend.

“Looks like I'm going to visit Carieve tonight," he mumbled to himself before climbing into his bed and falling asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt unfair with that last chapter, so have this chapter too! My favorite chapter in fact, I love how it really gets into the plot, and i love being cryptic.


	5. The 59th Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Carieve isn’t a character from Hetalia, and her name was completely pulled out of my ass. I think you’ll have a better understanding as to why in a couple of chapters, even if I just explain in the author’s note in that upcoming chapter.

"Carieve?" Matthew called out into the hallway, "Carieve? Are you there?" He asked again.

Odd. He was in a somewhat familiar hallway of a castle decorated in fancy side tables and various pictures hung against the wall. He knew he was going to arrive at the castle tonight, but he wasn’t in the main ballroom, he always arrived in the main ballroom when visiting the castle. Matthew shrugged it off and easily navigated his way to the said ballroom.

Standing in the middle of the ball room, almost anxiously, with her back facing him, was Carieve. She wore a long, elegant dress that spread out around her in a most spectacular manner. Warm mahogany hair was tied up into a ponytail and spilled out in curls from behind her head. She turned around when hearing his footsteps. Her expression lifted at the sight of Matthew.

"Matthew!" She said his name with joy before running over to envelope him in a hug.

 Matthew gladly returned her hug. "My, you look quite lovely tonight," he commented, "What's the special occasion?"

"No occasion," she chirped, "I just felt like dressing up tonight."

Matthew took her hand and spun Carieve around in response.

"Come, let us go to the gardens," Carieve tugged on the sleeve of his pajamas.

"Why the gardens?"

"Because, they look lovely out in the full moon tonight," Carieve insisted.

"Very well then," Matthew responded mirthfully, protruding his elbow for Carieve to take.

As they weaved their way through the labyrinth off hallways to the castle gardens, Matthew heard the familiar question he was waiting for, "So, how old are you now?"

"About 18 and a half now," Matthew answered her taking a left.

Soon enough the two were outside in the castle gardens enjoying the cool air. Carieve was right, the gardens were a beautiful place in the shine of the moonlight. They walked over to a small bench in front of a small patch of flowers in full bloom despite the night. Looking out onto the gardens, Matthew mused over his first visit to the castle.

It had been seven years for Matthew, however for Carieve it had only been 58 nights.

* * *

 

He was small and confused on his first visit. Matthew had arrived through his dreams. Why, and how? He wasn't really sure at first; he thought it was just another ordinary dream, that is, until he talked to Carieve.

She was surprised to see him at first. And after exchanging greetings and names she was confused as to why he was there at the castle, and why he was so young. Matthew wasn't sure why he was there nor did he know who she was. She tried to explain where he was, who he was, and remind him of the time he lived here, but Matthew wasn't able to remember anything. They spent that first night talking, she explained the castle in every way she could. Matthew believed everything she said, he really didn't have another source to confirm what she said, she was the only one there.

She told him that he was the prince of the castle and that she was the castle caretaker while he and his people were gone. Where? He asked. Where ever he was now, she answered. He asked why, but she claimed that she did not know, simply that soon they shall all return to their homeland. More explanations followed that night, and eventually Matthew found that he had to go, he was waking up. The two of them did not know if he would visit the castle again within his dreams.

However Matthew did visit again, about three months later; confirming that their first meeting was not simply a dream. He was excited to see her, while she was surprised to see him, obviously having not believed she would see him again.

Matthew explained how three months had passed since their first meeting, however for Carieve, it had only been a day. Their worlds were moving at different paces. Matthew would age with each night he visited, so Carieve took to asking how old he was with each visit.

With every visit, Carieve taught Matthew more and more of what she knew about the castle and Matthew’s relation to it. He couldn't help but find it exciting, learning about the home he had forgotten. Soon enough, Matthew learned the layout of the castle, having explored every piece of it with Carieve, and figured out the pattern of when he would meet her in the castle. He recorded it on his calendar, and looked to every night in anticipation.

Once Matthew had suggested to Carieve about telling his parents of his dream walking, feeling that he shouldn’t keep such important information from his fathers. She panicked at his suggestion and quickly told him that the kings must now know, "For their knowing may disrupt the course fate, and no one would be able to return home," she said. The topic was never brought up again.

* * *

 

Matthew stared up at the moon, a small smile playing against his lips as he leaned back on the bench. Carieve looked up to the moon too; a nervous air around her, but Matthew brushed it off.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked, breaking the stillness.

"The first time I came to the castle through my dreams," he answered.

"It’s been so long for you, hasn't it?"

"It has," Matthew looked in her direction.

"How have you been?" Carieve glanced at Matthew.

"Fine, I've made a new friend as of recent,” again Matthew grinned to himself at the thought of Ivan.

"Oh really now?" Her interest piqued, "And who might this new friend of yours be?"

"His name is Ivan," Matthew smiled brighter, "Ivan Braginski."

Carieve visibly tensed at the name, her smile becoming a bit more forced as she looked at Matthew. "I-is that so?"

"Do you think he might be from this world too?" Matthew tried to hide his misgiving. Her reaction was much too similar to his father’s, though she held an anger that his father’s did not. Was there something really that wrong with Ivan?

"Maybe,” She replied flatly, “I do not know if all of the people from the world you are living in now are of our world. He probably wasn't anyone of importance in the kingdom, or he may be from another kingdom. I do not remember him."

"Oh," Matthew dropped the subject, but couldn’t help his suspicion.

Carieve turned towards Matthew and gave a sweet smile.

Matthew returned the expression and turned to look back out to the garden. He listened as she let in a deep breath, and slowly released it. He turned to her in question. Matthew's look was met with Carieve's own nervous one; she was debating something in her head. Before Matthew could ask what was wrong, Carieve spoke up.

"You do know that I've known you for a long time," she questioned.

"...Yes I do," Matthew answered her slowly.

"And that I knew you before you started visiting the castle in your dreams?"

"Yes. I’m sorry that I do not remember it myself."

"It’s not your fault. I know you remember nothing of this world” She continued on, “We're the same age, in this world at least. I've know you since we first met when you were nine years old and I had just turned 10.”

"I remember you telling me that."

"And it really happened. We became friends of the castle, and I loved it," Carieve's eyes locked onto his, they seemed almost desperate. Matthew tried to reassure her so she could continue whatever she was leading up to.

Carieve took another deep breath, this time holding it in for a bit before exhaling.

"I-I wanted to tell you something," she finally said.

"I had a feeling," Matthew almost chuckled.

"I wanted to tell you that, I… I love, you..." She trailed, her eyes quickly left his.

"Well, I love you too Carieve," he said simply.

"..." She knit her brows together and frowned before bringing her eyes back to his, "No... I don't mean like that.”

"Like what?" Matthew asked, though he could tell where she was going with this.

"How do you love me?"

"..." He paused, even though he knew the answer, "Like a sister."

"That's just it, I don't love you like a brother, I, love you, love you."

"Uh…” Matthew wasn’t sure how to respond, he didn’t want to let her down, but he couldn’t lie to her.

"I do. And I could tell that you weren't saying 'I love you' in the same sense that I was," she began speaking faster.

"A-and how do you know this?" Was all Matthew could manage, unsure of how to handle Carieve’s increasing anger.

"Because I know _you_ Matthew!" She cried out, her voice raising with each word, “I know how you claim your love for someone! You stutter and choke up so much out of nervousness, that the person you were telling your love to had to say it first.”

“Ah- W-wait.” This wasn’t the direction he expected their conversation to go, he looked at her in question at the information never before mentioned in her reminiscing of their old lives together, “Who have I claimed my love for?"

"Umm..." She stopped, her face scrunching up, as her eyes darted away from Matthew, "N-no one," she finally said.

"It must not have been you then, otherwise I think you would have told me," Matthew's voice was stern as he stared at Carieve, trying to get her to reveal more.

"B-but, you were supposed to love me. Not him..." Her eyes became hard as they stabbed into Matthew's, "I was the one who loved you, not him," she hissed.

"...." Matthew sat frozen at his seat looking at her, "I-I think I need to go now."

"Then go," she said in a quiet growl.

Matthew forced himself awake and faded from the world of his dream.

He shot upright in his bed with a cold sweat. The clock read 2:30 am. A sigh left his lips as Matthew slouched over. _Why did I have to mess things up like that?_ He looked down to his hands, barely making out their outline in the darkness. He jerked his head up in question, _Who? Who had I claimed my love for before?_

_...He?_


	6. Capturing the Visage

Ivan nearly bounded out of his house that fine Friday morning, excitement bubbling within his chest. He was ready for the school day to end before it could even begin. He walked slightly faster, with a tiny skip in his step too, but not enough for his sisters to take notice though. Ivan was delighted to actually go and stay the night at someone’s house, but he couldn’t help but feel that most of his eagerness came from the fact that it was Matthew’s house he would be staying at. Matthew, who in a mere three weeks, had managed to become one of Ivan’s favorite people, Ivan wasn’t sure how else to describe how happy the thought of Matthew made him feel, he wasn’t even sure of all the ways Matthew made him feel.

All five students gathered together for their daily walk to school, and everyone was engaged in the conversation, even Natalya. Their bright behavior seemed out of place in the dreary English clouds, but did not lessen until they parted for their morning classes.

The day could not go by fast enough for Ivan. He passed his time in class by staring blankly out of the windows when he could, barely paying attention to his teachers.

* * *

 

The clouds slowly made their way across the sky and let the sun shine through the late in November day. It was nearly December, and that meant winter was right around the corner, yet Ivan found that he could not be bothered by this as he and his sisters reached their house. Ivan quickly headed up to his room, Matthew had told him to come over to his house about 4 o'clock. Using the hour he had until then, Ivan double checked his bags and made sure he had borrowed all of the correct supplies he needed to create the portrait of Matthew.

4 o’clock rolled around and with a goodbye shouting up the stairwell so that his sisters could hear him, Ivan left his house with his sleeping bag, clothes, and art supplies in tow. The air was crisp and cool. The sun shown far to the west, but was not quite ready to set. The only sound Ivan heard were his footsteps, heavy, rapid, and not slowing down for anything.

Within a few minutes he stood before Matthew's house giving the door a quick glance over for any sign of a doorbell, when one wasn't found, Ivan brought up his hand to knock on the door. He heard stomping from inside the house and before he could knock, Matthew opened it up for him.

"Bonjour Ivan!" Matthew said in with a slight pant, as if he had just been running.

"Uh... Privet Matvey,” Ivan responded, his hand hanging awkwardly in the air.

"Please, come in," Matthew stepped aside for Ivan to enter his house.

"Of course," Ivan responded taking a step inside.

The house was cozy, filled with various warm colors from the furniture and minimal decorations. It was nice, comfortable; it was exactly the kind of house Ivan imagined someone like Matthew to come from.

"You can kick off your shoes here," Matthew said gesturing to a small carpet next to the door covered with a small pile of shoes. Ivan slipped his large feet out from his shoes, placing them on the little carpet as neatly as he could.

“Can I take your sleeping bag?” Matthew politely asked, holding his hand out for Ivan.

“Oh, sure,” He murmured placing the sleeping bag in Matthew’s arms.

“Come this way, we can put your things into my room and then start on the project,” Matthew said spinning around to head up a narrow staircase just past a well-used kitchen.

The walls of the staircase were littered with photographs. Many of which didn’t even have frames around them, simply being tacked up onto the wall in every corner that they could take up. Ivan could spot a painting among the hundreds of photographs every once and a while as they slowly migrated up the stairs. Ivan found it fascinating. Matthew’s family was cheerful in each of their pictures, none of the smiles were strained, and everyone was happy to be with their family. Thoughts of his father being vacant in the few pictures Ivan and his siblings took together burned in his head momentarily before he shoved them away.

"You can set your bag down at the end of the bed,” Matthew said as they entered his room.

Ivan looked out Matthew’s window as he did so and saw that Matthew’s room looked out onto the park across the street. Ivan spotted Sadik, an older student who he had little interaction with, but still recognized. He watched as Sadik exited the park and followed the sidewalk to his mysterious destination.

“Does Sadik live on this street?” Ivan asked, he could not help but wonder.

“I don’t think so,” Matthew thought for a moment, “Doesn’t Katyusha always hang out with him? I think they like each other.”

“…What,” Ivan held a breath. He remembers how they would hang out from time to time, but he never felt that they might like one another in a romantic sense, though he had always been bad at telling that kind of thing. Ivan glanced out the window once more; Sadik was out of sight.

“Ivan? Shall we get working on our project?” Matthew questioned breaking Ivan from his thoughts. Ivan merely nodded in response. Crouching next to a desk in his room, Matthew rummaged around for a moment before he pulled out some charcoal and a large empty canvas, “Do you have your supplies?”

“Oh, yes I do,” Ivan quickly grabbed out his own blank canvas and pastels from his bag.

“I was thinking we could work outside, seeing as the sun decided to join us this afternoon,” Matthew suggested leading the way out of his room.

Ivan followed Matthew in agreement.

In the backyard, Ivan and Matthew stood facing each other a few meters apart. They decided that Ivan would draw Matthew first, seeing as he took longer when drawing. Both set down the short stools they had dragged outside along with their supplies.

“Are you sure you don’t want an easel Ivan?” Matthew sat down awkwardly on his stool, unsure of how to pose.

“No worries Matvey, I draw like this all the time,” Ivan responded settling down on the stool that was too short for him.

“Ok then. How would you like me to pose? Like this?” He leaned back and grabbed his stool while jutting his leg in the air with a wicked grin, Ivan quirked an eyebrow, “Or this?” Matthew leaned forward on the tiny stool in the infamous ‘Thinker pose’ putting on a serious face.

Ivan giggled. “But Matvey, I am supposed to capture you in a pose that is very ‘you’,” Ivan made bunny ears at the word you and it was Matthew’s turn to quirk an eyebrow, “So please, slouch over.”

"Are you implying something?” Matthew gave a fake scoff.

“Am I?” Ivan could not hide his smirk.

Matthew shook his head before asking again, “Seriously, how would you like me to pose?”

Ivan thought for a moment, “Lean forward on your mini stool,” Matthew adjusted himself, “Put your legs in front of you and keep them bent. Rest your elbows on your knees and interlace your fingers.”

“Like this?” Matthew asked pulling his body into the position Ivan described.

“Good,” Ivan looked over Matthew’s position again, “Now place your chin on your fingers and look past my left shoulder.”

“Wouldn’t this be considered slouching?” A smile played on Matthew’s lips as he posed and looked over Ivan shoulder.

“Keep still, just like that,” Ivan said, ignoring Matthew's comment.

Matthew kept still as Ivan began to outline him. Matthew looked... remarkable, incredible. Ivan felt himself suddenly want nothing more than to stare at Matthew for days, taking in every physical aspect that came with one of his favorite people. Ivan brought his focus on the colors of Matthew's hair in the glow of the sunlight, while he did not have days, he would take in the couple of hours that he was allowed to just stare and attempt recreate Matthew.

* * *

 

Matthew used swift, large movements of his arm, erasing the layers of charcoal to bring light and Ivan’s shape to it. They sat closer together for Matthew to get a better look at Ivan, every once and awhile adjusting his glasses on his nose. Ivan sat still, straight, with his hands in his lap and his eyes closed, he looked relaxed which is exactly what Matthew wanted.

He smiled as he occasionally glanced down at his work; the almost setting sun cast an enamoring angle of light on Ivan’s face. There was absolute silence between them as Matthew drew, the same silence as when Ivan drew him, yet unlike other silences these two had experienced with other people, this wasn't awkward. The silence was comfortable.

"Done," Matthew finally said after giving his piece several looks over.

"May I see?" Ivan asked opening his eyes. Those hard amethysts Matthew couldn't add to his image; they were captivating, and forever held a torment that Matthew would never know. But Ivan made Matthew feel calm and happy, and he wanted to convey that feeling through the portrait, so he made Ivan close his eyes.

"Only if you let me see your painting first, eh," Matthew insisted. Ivan hadn’t let him look before.

"..." Ivan frowned slightly, but it had a playful tone to it, Matthew could tell, "Fine then, we do not have to look at each other’s pieces.”

"So be it," Matthew laughed, something he felt he could do freely with Ivan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another 2,000 words of nonsense taken out of this chapter. And honestly I’m surprised that this is the gayest chapter so far, actually overall? Because it’s there in the later chapters but not as predominant as it is here? And then it gets really dramatic and tragic after those. :/ Sadik is Turkey if ya didn’t already know.


	7. Who Sleeps at Sleepovers?

Ivan followed Matthew into the house, each held their pieces so the other couldn’t see, supplies, and tiny stools also in tow. They entered the living room and were met with warm smells coming from the kitchen and Arthur reading on the couch.

"Oh, hello boys," Arthur looked up from his book, "I was beginning to wonder when you two would come inside.”

"Hey dad. Bonjour papa." Matthew greeted his fathers before introducing Ivan.

Francis poked his head around the corner of the kitchen and both men politely introduced themselves to Ivan in return. Matthew couldn’t help be feel tense, remembering the looks they shared from his merely mentioning Ivan’s name.

A ding from the kitchen caught everyone’s attention, "Oh, dinner is nearly ready. Why don't you two put your things away, clean up a bit, and get ready for dinner, oui?"

"I'll help you set the table," Arthur put down his book and got up.

"We’ll be down in a moment," Matthew replied leading Ivan back up the picture plastered staircase.

Dinner was interesting for Ivan. Conversations were lively and occasionally broke out into light bickering between Matthew's fathers, with Matthew acting as the peacemaker. His fathers would try and bring Ivan and Matthew into their conversations whenever they could, but were more apt to Ivan as they wanted to learn whatever they could. It had been an interesting experience to say in the least, and while dinners with his sisters were rarely eaten in complete silence, they weren’t nearly as lively as dinner at Matthew’s. He could only imagine what the table was like when Alfred was there as well.

They headed up to Matthew’s room after and found themselves    talking about everything and nothing all at once. Ivan couldn't help but be grateful for these moments, where someone was just there with him, acknowledging him, treating him like an actual person. Ivan loved it. He wondered if Matvey liked his presence as well.         

After some time, Matthew looked at the clock in his room. It was a bit after 9 pm, "We should change into our pajamas."

"Hmm?" Ivan's eyes followed Matthew's view read the clock as well, "I suppose so."

"We will be staying up a little late though..."

"And why is that?" Ivan asked as he began to rummage through his bag.

"There's someone who I want you to meet." Matthew grinned, grabbing the folded pajamas off his bed.

"..." Ivan turned around and looked at Matthew with a funny face, "Who would come to meet us so late at night? And why? Are they going to climb through the window or something?"

Matthew chuckled, "You'll see," he said with a mischievous air around him. Ivan raised an eyebrow in question before changing his clothes.

He noticed a bookshelf next to Matthew’s bed when they finished changing. The bookshelf was stuffed with books, so many that small piles were stacked around the shelf as well. One book in particular caught Ivan's attention. It had a thick spine with golden cursive lettering running along it. The cursive writing was so "fancy" that it was too difficult for him to read all of it, the only thing Ivan could make out was a P and an A. He wondered what was contained within the covers, what books could Matvey possibly like?

"What are you looking at?" Matthew asked from Ivan's left.

 "I was just looking at your books.”

"Anything that catches your eye?" Matthew asked sitting cross legged next to Ivan at he too looked at the bookshelf.

"...Um, the large one," Ivan said pointing to the said book, "With the gold lettering."

Matthew crawled over to the book pulling it from the shelf, "Oh,” He sighed as if recalling a fond memory, “This is one of the family albums I have."

"A family album? You mean your staircase wall wasn't your family album?" Ivan joked.

"Shut up," Matthew said sticking out his tongue childishly. He then moved to return the book to its place.

"Wait. I would like to see what pictures you have," Ivan said.

"Really?" Matthew looked shy, "...Okay then."

They scooted together and opened the book. A picture of Matthew and Alfred dancing with towels tied around their necks was on the front page. Matthew let out a nervous laugh while Ivan leaned closer in interest at the picture. _What a peculiar pair the two must have been as children,_ Ivan thought as Matthew turned the page.  The largest picture on the left page caught Ivan attention first; it was a picture of an unfamiliar woman holding a baby in her arms. She had long dark brown hair and tanned skin, smile lines crinkled the corners of her closed eyes, and she had a similar face shape to Matthew and Alfred. A very young toddler sat next to her looking up at the woman with a smile on his face. Ivan guessed the toddler was Matthew, seeing as the child in the picture had wavy blond hair, with the same ridiculous curl sticking up in front of his face.

"Who is that?" Ivan pointed to the woman, though he had a feeling that he already knew the answer.

"That's mine and Al's mother," Matthew stared at her quietly for a moment, "...She passed away when we were young, we don't remember her much."

Ivan gave a quiet hum, unsure of what to say. He was unsure how, but Matthew's mother reminded him of his own, they looked nothing alike, but she too had passed before he truly got to know her.

In the next picture over, there was Francis and Arthur holding what he assumed to be little Matvey and Alfred. Scratched across their faces were looks of utter confusion, as if they didn't know what was going on as they held the babies. Well, baby, Matvey was a toddler at the point in the picture. Something was off about that. Matvey had told Ivan that he and Alfred were twins. And the woman made him wonder even more.

"Matvey, how exactly does your family …work," Ivan asked trying to place his words in a conceivable order, "Are you and your brother adopted? Or, something else?"

"Oh!" Matthew perked up, "I probably told you that Al and I are twins when we first met, right?"

"Uh-Da?" Ivan was unsure of where this was heading.

"Well, actually, we're farther than that," Matthew looked back down at the picture of his mother, "Alfred and I are only half-brothers. That is our mother. Papa, or Francis, is my father," Matthew dragged his hand over the page and pointed to the confused Francis in the picture, "And dad, Arthur, is Al's father," Matthew pointed to the also confused Arthur.

"Your mother is a surrogate?" Ivan asked.

"I think so, though I’m not quite sure," Matthew paused in thought, "Papa and dad phrased it in a weird way."

"I see," Ivan left it at that and refocused his attention to the photo album as Matthew turned another page.

An hour had passed of them looking through the photo album, Matthew occasionally sharing stories with some pictures.

It was nice just sitting, listening to Matthew speak. Occasionally Ivan would add in a comment, but he didn't want to spoil the serenity that was his voice. It didn't stutter or waver at all, it was warm and concise, that made Ivan feel happy, Matthew very comfortable with Ivan, and vise-versa. Ivan wavered once Matthew had finally stopped talking, his eyes opening as he realized they had drooped down.

Matthew shifted away to return his family album to the bookshelf. Ivan found himself having to shift as well, apparently he had started leaning on Matthew through "story time", and yet Mathew didn't seem to mind.

"Are you sleepy yet?" Matthew asked now standing. He smiled as he leaned down and poked Ivan's nose. Ivan wrinkled his face at the action and stifled a yawn. Matthew let out a quiet laugh, "I'll take that as a yes," he said in a whisper, “You can set up your sleeping bag, but don't fall asleep on me just yet. Remember? We're staying up just a little bit later so you can meet the friend I mentioned earlier."

 _You mean they haven't arrived yet?!_ Ivan thought tiredly to himself, _Who am I meeting, some night owl?_ It was much too late for someone to be coming over to Matthew’s house now. "When will this "friend" of yours be coming?" Ivan asked.

"In 10 minutes or so, it depends on the night," Matthew replied as he made his way over to his closet. He pulled out a sleeping bag of his own and began to roll it out onto his floor next to Ivan’s.

"You are not going to sleep in your bed?" Ivan gave Matthew a weird look.

"No. This is a sleepover and it's fun to sleep on the floor every once and awhile," Matthew grabbed a pillow from his bed and put it at one end of his sleeping bag, he grabbed another pillow and tossed it towards Ivan who caught the fluffy object before it could make contact with his head.

"So what is this friend of yours like?" Ivan began trying to fill the time they had to wait for said friend.

"Well, he's quiet, only says a few words," Matthew rambled in thought, "He's really small and light. I met him when I found him injured one day."

Ivan nodded, wondering if this small person was going to climb in through the window. It was the only explanation he could come up with. Matthew stopped talking and glanced at his window, _Well speak of the devil_ , Ivan thought. There was a light tapping on the window and Matthew moved to get it, but not before reaching under his bed and grabbing a leather glove. He slid the glove onto his left hand. _What did he need that for?_

Ivan pulled his eyes to the window, but Matthew moved in his way before Ivan could make out any figures. Opening the window Matthew reached his gloved hand out to help his friend in. What Ivan saw was not something that expected to see. Perched on Matthew's hand was none other than a snowy owl.

It ruffled its feathers a bit and adjusted itself on Matthew's hand. Matthew closed the window and the bird began to look around. It looked at Ivan with bright yellow irises; curiously it tilted its head to the side.

"Matvey. You failed to mention that your 'friend' was an owl," Ivan deadpanned, his eyes never leaving the bird.

"No, but it doesn't make a difference really," Matthew shrugged.

“Really?”

"Who." The bird 'said', Matthew smiled.

"That's Ivan, my friend," He pointed to Ivan.

"Who," The bird again 'said', this time looking at Matthew, whom simply chuckled.

"I'm Matthew!"

"Matvey, I do not believe that the bird was asking for either of our names," Ivan looked at Matthew like he was foolish.

"I know that, but sometimes it's fun to pretend. Like he can actually hear you," Matthew held the owl up so that it was face level with him, "Isn't that right?" He cooed quietly.

"Um" Ivan paused, unsure of what else to say to the situation before him.

"Oh! Where are my manners, Ivan this is my friend Kumajirou," Matthew presented the now pronounced Kumajirou and the bird looked at Ivan again, Ivan stared back.

"You said that you met, um, him, when you found him injured one day?" Ivan asked, trying to understand the predicament before him.

"Yeah. A year or so ago, I found Kumamaji in my backyard with an injured wing, on impulse I picked him up and brought him to the bathroom. I fixed up his wing and kept him in my room for about three months, giving him water and feeding him the mice or rats Samira would constantly catch. Once I let him go, I thought I would never see him again, but two nights later he came back for a quick visit, he’s come by every couple of nights since then," Matthew answered sitting down across from Ivan.

"That’s really dangerous you know. You could have gotten hurt yourself," Ivan said leaning in to get a bit of a closer look at the owl who turned its head to ignore him.

"Kumajikou is pretty docile for a wild animal," The bird gave a little screech at him, "I'm sorry, I mean 'powerful bird of prey,'" Matthew pet the bird's feathers.

"Wait, didn't you call him a different name just before?" Ivan asked. Matthew had changed the bird's name at least twice now.

"Well, I can't exactly remember what I named him when I first found him. It was something starting with Kuma, but that's all I remember. I keep changing it, I'm sorry," Matthew sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.

Ivan hummed in response, "May I touch him?"

"Sure, he won't bite, just bring your hand forward gently so you don’t startle him," Matthew held Kuma-whatever forward a bit .

Slowly, as Matvey advised, Ivan brought his hand forward. Kuma looked at the hand curiously and then at Ivan. His hand inched forward until they finally touched. The feathers were incredibly soft; he moved his hand through them slowly, feeling every feature of the owl’s feathers. Ivan smiled a bit and Matvey grinned at this.

"I think he likes you.”

"Really?" Ivan mused still feeling the softness of Kuma’s feathers, "How do you know?"

"When I showed Kumafreo to Al, well, it didn't exactly go well. Kuma screeched loudly and woke up my parents, I had to open the window and let him fly away before dad and papa found out what Al and I were doing up so late," Matthew had a bemused looked as remembered the event.

Kuma-anything opened and closed his wings once Ivan's hand was gone. The owl gave a flap in attempt to move without actually flying. He adjusted his talons on Matvey's gloved hand.

"Looks like Kumajirou needs to go," Matthew said, he gave the bird a quick nuzzle before standing up and walking over to the window. Ivan got up with him.

Sticking Kumajirou and his hand out the window, Matthew let the bird fly away. Ivan watched from behind as Kumajirou beat his large wings in an up and downward motion. _Wow,_ Ivan thought to himself as the bird flew into the night sky.

Matthew and Ivan lay in their sleeping bags, their heads near each other and light conversations passed between them. The door had been cracked open to let Samria come in sometime during the night. Where she currently was, neither boys were quite sure.

Their words slowed until there was no noise in the room. Matthew left with a 'Bonne nuit Ivan' unsure if Ivan had even heard his words. It wasn't until Ivan replied with half mumbled ‘good night’ in his own language, did Matthew finally close his eyes, content with the foreign words.

They did not know of the dreams that would visit them that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda forgot I wrote about Kumajirou in this. This went from being a 6,000 word chapter to a 2,500 word one, omg.


	8. Dream Synchronization

Ivan looked around the unfamiliar hallway. _Where am I?_ He wondered. He took a cautious step forward, the pad of his foot hitting the cool tile echoed around him as the only source of sound. The hush returned when he didn't move any further, should he continue forward when he didn’t even know where he was.

His eyes scanned the unknown territory. In the barely lit hall he found fancy side tables and paintings lining the walls. Another cautious step forward and Ivan brought his gaze up to one of the pictures. It towered above him from its perch on the wall; Ivan could barely make out the woman posed amongst what he could only guess were an assortment of flowers. He moved closer to the painting and it became more illuminated. Ivan looked down at his hands in curiosity and saw that he was giving off a dim light. _Am I dreaming?_

Ivan began following the hall to his left, his footsteps making a quiet pitter patter on the tiles. His eyes scanned more of the pictures lining the walls. More people that Ivan didn't recognize, and then, a picture of Matthew, or at least what looked to be Matthew. A small painting of a young boy sat up on the wall, he had the same ridiculous hair curl as Matthew, and the same vibrant blue-violet eyes. The boy sat with a small smile adorning his face. Ivan studied the picture unsure what to make of it, there were more pictures of Matthew, and others that looked to be Alfred. Then pictures of two men, dressed in foreign elaborate attire, they had the same likeness of Matthew’s fathers. Both men could be found in many of the pictures with Alfred and Matthew.

Ivan eventually managed to make his way down the hall as it opened up and became more illuminated. To his right was a balcony that overlooked a large, bright room.

"...Where am I?" His voice reverberated throughout the room, but was met with no answer.

Ivan's eyes trailed down a nearby staircase to the floor of the open room. They followed another staircase that wound up to a balcony at on the opposite side of the room exactly like the one he stood at.

Matthew shot out from behind the wall and onto the opposite balcony, his body giving off a strange dim light as well. He wore only pajama bottoms but hardly seemed bothered as he followed the stairs down into the large room. Worry graced his features at the bottom of the stairs as he searched for something.

"Matvey?" Ivan finally called out.

"Ivan?!?" Matthew jumped and jerked in Ivan’s direction, "What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same thing, and what am I doing here?" Ivan still couldn’t tell if he was in a dream, he wanted to say yes, but the cold tiles biting into his bare feet said otherwise.

"...I, don't..." Matthew was suddenly cut off by a disembodied voice.

"Matthew! You're early" It said. Both heads shot towards its source.

_Who is she?_ Ivan asked himself. Watching as the woman shuffled over to Matthew. She didn't glow like they did.

"What do you mean I'm early?" Matthew spoke to her with familiarity despite his confusion.

"It’s not night time, you always visit during the night,” She explained to Matthew.

"... It hasn't been three months yet," Matthew responded.

_What was going on? Visits?_ Ivan's mind began racing. "What is going on?"

The woman and Matthew looked over towards Ivan. She gave him a look of disgust but forced a confused expression upon her face before Matthew could take notice, "And who might you be?" She asked sweetly, much too sweet for Ivan’s tastes.

Ivan's borders raised, his mind going into a defensive state. He mimicked her false friendliness with a disturbed smile and his own sickeningly sweet greeting, “I am Ivan, Matvey's friend.”

She momentarily cringed as the nickname and mirrored Ivan’s smile in response, "Is that so?"              

"Da, it is. And who might you be?" He inquired with a low chuckle that typically made his rivals shake. She remained her composure.

Matthew barely regarded both of them, unfazed by their actions as he was too lost in thought at the moment.

"My name is Carieve; I too am Matthew's friend. I've heard a bit about you," She introduced herself but kept her hands down, there was no need for formalities with someone you knew you instantly despised.

"Is that so?" Ivan began to descend the stairs, he couldn’t help but smirk, "I haven't heard anything about you.”

"What are you doing here Ivan?" Matthew suddenly broke in, the tension between the two faltered.

"I don't know …I’d like to know though," Ivan brought his attention to Matthew, "I don't know where I am, or what's going on."

"It's simple, my dear," Ivan could not help but clench his fist at the way Carieve said ‘my dear’, "This is a dream."

"A dream? I thought so. but-" Ivan stopped himself before he could continue.

"But what?" She purred. Ivan looked at her, he didn't want to trust her, he didn't know why, something about her made him want to scream and, of all things, run to his sister Katyusha.

Matthew nervously looked at between Carieve and Ivan,  before he leaned over and cupped his hands around her ear. He whispered something Ivan could not hear. _What could they be hiding?_

"Ivan, have you ever had a dream of this place, or any castle like place before?" Matthew finally asked Ivan.

Ivan had never dreamed of this place, the few dreams he had were always nightmares with someone he cared about dying. His chest dropped at the thought, was Matthew going to die, was this woman going to kill him? No. With the floor tiles still biting into his feet and the smoothness of the railing underneath his fingers, Ivan couldn’t get rid of the feeling that he wasn’t in a dream.

"No. I've never had a dream like this before. And never in a castle... Why are we in a castle Matvey?" Ivan looked up and around at the elaborate decorations that still adorned the ceiling of the grand ballroom before him.

"It's a dream, who knows," Matthew answered with a shrug, his eyes avoiding Ivan’s. However Carieve’s bore into Ivan, glaring and glaring at him and wishing for him to go away.

"But, you are a part of my dream, da? So you should know," Ivan said still trying to pry answers from Matthew.

"Whatever the case, this dream is going to end soon and you will wake up," Carieve broke in.

"What?-"

"Wake up Ivan, Wake up!" Matthew began to chant. He looked much too panicked at the situation. This _must_ be another nightmare

"W-wait!" Ivan called out in worry for Matthew, but he could feel himself drawing away from the dream and waking up.

"Wake up, Wake up Ivan!" Matthew's voice drew farther and farther away and his image grew blurrier.

"Ma-tvey," one last word before Matthew and Carieve finally faded from his view.

* * *

 

Ivan gasped and shot upright in a cold sweat. Heavy breaths racked through his body as his eyes darted around the moonlit room. Matthew's room. Matthew was alive, he was alive and Ivan was awake and they were safe.

Ivan let out a shaky laugh and leaned forward, placing his head in his hands. It was just a nightmare, but a nightmare unlike any he had before. He didn’t even watch Matthew die. Why did it start out like that? Where had he been? A castle? And who was that woman? Carieve… Ivan slowed, he did not know her, so why was she there?

"Wa-ke up-nnnzzzz" Ivan thoughts were cut off by a murmur just to his left. It was Matthew, was he talking in his sleep? "W-wake up" his tired voice let out again.

"Matvey?" Ivan whispered, seeing if his friend showed any signs of being awake.

No response. He must have been sleep talking. But, if Ivan heard right, Matthew said wake up, just like the Matthew in his dream. _Did that mean…_

Ivan shook his head. Ridiculous, it was just a dream, nothing more. He snuck one more glance at Matthew's sleeping figure; he made no other noises besides quiet, steady breaths. Ivan leaned back onto the ground, bringing the sleeping bag and blanket over his body, _Just a dream,_ he reassured himself. And sleep consumed his body once more.

He did not hear Matthew speak once again, "You don't like h-mmm do you?"

"Why not?"


	9. Commencement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the gap there I forgot I was reuploading this fic.

Matthew sighed as he slowly relaxed his body into the perfect temperature bubble bath. His fathers had grilled him and Alfred all weekend during training and frankly his muscles were aching. They had never worked Alfred and Matthew this hard before, what on earth could be the cause to such heavy training? Matthew had no clue and was much too tired to ask them. He just needed to soak in the tub for now, let his mind and body rest.

He twirled his fingers above the water; it followed his movement and broke free from the layer of bubbles to float in front of his face. Despite all of their training over the weekend Matthew’s magic felt fine, it was the physical activities that really took a toll on him. He rolled his ankle around recalling how Alfred had caught him off guard with a quick transportation spell and slammed into him. Matthew had put a little healing charm on the bubble bath mix and it was doing wonders. He dropped the floating water back into the bath and took a deep breath to try and unwind his mind, his thoughts drifted to his portrait of Ivan.

It had been bothering him all weekend, the fact that he didn’t have time during the weekend-long training session to touch up the project. Matthew knew he still had plenty of time before the project was due, but he wanted to finish the piece now. He mumbled a short chant and dragged his hand over a bubble-less section of water, an image of Ivan appeared before him in the water, specifically the prevalent image in Matthew mind of Ivan posing for him. He pursed his lips in thought. _How would Ivan react if I told him I had magical abilities?_ Matthew shook his head and the image rippled in the water, unless Ivan too had magical abilities, it couldn’t be well, could it?

Ivan had been rather slack-jawed when Matthew showed him Kumajirou, but he only took a few minutes to warm up to the idea of Matthew “being friends” with an owl. Magical abilities were on a whole different level though. Would Ivan freak out, expose his secret and have him turned over to the government? It seemed ridiculous but Matthew couldn’t shake the memory of his father telling Alfred and him all of the things that could happen to them should anyone find out about their abilities, being taken away was one of the very prevalent possibilities in various situations. Matthew didn’t want that to happen to him but he couldn’t help but not want to keep any secrets from Ivan.

His dream came to mind as he thought more on the possible reactions of Ivan before He heard a knock and a shove of the door.

“Are you done?” Alfred impatiently asked, shoving himself in the bathroom.

“No I’m not! Al, get out!” Matthew jumped at the sudden intrusion.

“Ooh! You made the nice bath! Is that a healing charm I sense? Don’t mind if I do,” Alfred cheerfully ignored Matthew’s commands as he closed the door behind him, shoved off his clothes, and climbed into the bath with Matthew pushing him back to make room.

“Al, get out this is my bath,” Matthew frowned.

“Uhh, too bad, you’re taking you sweet time in the bathroom and left the door unlocked,” Alfred sighed and relaxed in the warm water of the cramped bathtub, “Besides, I need this healing charm as much as you do after you sent that weird shock up my arm,” He flexed his fingers to emphasize his point.

“Ugh, fine. Did you lock the door as least? We don’t need papa bursting in and gushing over ‘how adorable’ we are in the tub,” Matthew grimaced at the memory of last time they did this.

“Unlike you, I think ahead and always lock my doors so no one can barge in and steal my incredible healing bath,” Alfred sang the last part, thoroughly enjoying the healing prowess of the bubble bath.

“I’m glad you enjoy it,” Matthew said rolling his eyes with a small smirk.

Alfred nodded heartily and began gently scrubbing himself with the nearby loofa, Matthew elected to continue staring off and think about his dreams. Why did he want to tell Ivan so badly about his powers when he didn’t even want to tell his own brother about his dreams? Should he tell Alfred? If any time was better it would be now after everything that has happened with his dreams and with their training.

“You okay there Mattie? Whatcha thinkin’ about?” Alfred, almost knowingly, interrupted his thoughts and handed the loofa to Matthew.

“…” He took the offered item and decided to just go for it, “Do you ever have reoccurring dreams Al?”

“Uhh…” Alfred thought about the question, tilting his head to the side as he did so, “A couple of times. Like, I’ve had this dream about a tornado blasting through and eating all of us at least three times over the past five years.”

 _A tornado?_ Matthew thought as he scrubbed himself clean, he had never had a dream about a tornado before.

“And I’ve had another happen a couple of times where dad is yelling at this cloaked figure, and smoke starts billowing around them and I realized that the cloaked figure is reciting a chant in an ancient language I don’t even think dad would understand.”

“Was there ever a castle in any of them?” Matthew interrupted his brother in need to know if their dreams had any similarities.

“A castle?” Alfred scrunched up his face in question and thought, “Maybe, I think there may have been a castle in the tornado dreams, like the tornado was indoors? Why a castle?

“I think, no, I’ve had lots of dreams about a castle, about visiting a castle in the dark of the night,” Matthew decidedly left his dream vague, he wasn’t ready to reveal everything to Alfred now.

“Huh, yea I don’t know bro, I’ve never had anything like that. Did anything ever happen? Like did you see anyone?”

“No,” Matthew mumbled, “There was no one, just me, wandering through an abandoned castle.”

“That sounds pretty spooky to me,” Alfred said with a shiver.

Matthew gave a light chuckle at his brother’s reaction to anything that resembled a haunted house, before deciding to change the subject to his earlier curiosities.

“Have you ever thought of telling anyone about your powers?” Matthew asked floating the loofa back up to its place and squirting his shampoo into his hands.

“Yeah, sometimes,” Alfred answered hesitantly, they never spoke of the idea because of their father.

“Who would you want to tell?” Matthew mused.

“Well who would you want to tell? You obviously want to tell someone _special_ since you brought it up, so don’t suddenly avoid the subject.”

“…” Matthew caught himself, realizing that Alfred was right, and that he couldn’t avoid what he just brought up. Mentally cursing himself, Matthew pumped himself up to tell Alfred.

“Come on, we don’t have all day,” Alfred sing-songed, enjoying this more than Matthew had expected.

“Ivan,” Matthew murmured.

“What! Oh gross!” Alfred exclaimed with an odd smile and a push that sloshed the bath water.

“What?!” Matthew responded with his own attitude.

“I know you like him, for some unforeseen reason, but I didn’t realized it had gotten that bad!”

“Wha-Alfred not like that!” Matthew quickly retorted realizing his brother’s meaning.

“Oh come on Mattie, you’re willing to tell me that you like Ivan so much that you want to tell him about your powers, and none of those feelings are romantic?” Alfred rolled his eyes, his voice getting quieter at every word so as not to let their father’s hear.

"No-“ Matthew sat forward in the tub, eyes wide in an odd mix of realization and rushing confused thoughts. He didn’t feel that way about Ivan? That wasn’t what his urge to tell him was. Was it? Matthew tried to turned the conversation back on Alfred as fast as he could, “Okay, so if our want to tell someone about our powers relates to personal romantic feelings, who do you want to tell?”

Alfred tensed and mouth gaped at his mistake, “Uhhh…”

Matthew straightened his back and waited patiently for him to answer, smug at his brother’s internal predicament.

“Kiku…” Matthew didn’t recognize the name and knit his eyebrows in question,” Honda…”

“As in?” Matthew nearly jumped as he realized who Alfred was talking about, “Oh my God Alfred! You’re calling me gross, that’s your teacher!”

"He’s a teacher’s assistant,” Alfred corrected with his eyes cast to the wall awkwardly.

“That doesn’t make it any better!” Matthew screeched.

They would have continued their charade if Francis’ voice hadn’t suddenly cut in from the other side of the door, “Are you okay in there Matthieu?”

“Uh,” Matthew took a moment to collect himself before responding, “Yes, I’m fine papa,” He gave a pointed look to Alfred who simply pursed his lips.

“…Is your brother in there with you?” The second question followed slowly after.

“Nooo,” Both of them drawled out together.

They jumped slightly as the door shifted from Francis’ attempt to get in.

“Fat chance Pops, you’re not getting a picture of us,” Alfred called out.

“Not one little one for the scrapbook?”

“No!” They chimed in retort.

Matthew looked down at his now pruned hands, he and Alfred had been in the tub long enough, his ankle was feeling much better and he had received more information about his brother than he ever wanted to know. As well as some information about himself that he never really considered.

* * *

 

The week had passed rather fast and winter break had begun to approach. Within that week was the meticulous criticizing of his drawing of Ivan and correcting whatever he could, but most of that criticizing was of himself for possibly having romantic feelings for Ivan. Alfred couldn’t be right about it could he? The way his stomach swirled every time he glanced at the portrait seem to disagree. Matthew found he was able to hold the thoughts to himself when he was around Ivan, but he was having a harder time denying that the joy he felt when being with Ivan was simply platonic.

Matthew slid his hands across his face in exasperation while sitting in front of his piece again for the 8th time this week. It was just like him to go an ruin his friendships like this. He ruined his friendship with Carieve because he didn’t like her, and he was going to probably ruin his friendship with Ivan because he did like him. He sighed, the best bet for him now was just to pretend like these feelings were non-existent and enjoy his time with Ivan before he messed it up with whatever impending doom seemed to lurk over him.

Another week went by and finally the day for Matthew and Ivan to present their art with it. They ended up presenting their projects second to last in class, both boys finally seeing the artwork the other denied to show each other.

Mr. Vargas listened as the boys explained their artwork, Ivan went first, telling about the medium he chose and the use of colors in the piece. Matthew also listened to Ivan's words, but his eyes stayed completely focused on the painting, there a very life-like image of Matthew sat on the canvas. Matthew could only describe the painting as beautiful, the colors, so bright and vibrant, nearly jumped out of the painting, and the textures that only watercolor could create looked incredible. Matthew found himself smiling brightly, the picture, in a way, was what Ivan thought about Matthew and what represented him. He was glad to know that Ivan felt so strongly towards Matthew, at least in the friendliest terms possible.

He simply couldn't take his eyes away, though he had to in order to present his own project to Mr. Vargas. The thought made him nervous, he hoped Ivan like his portrayal of him.

* * *

 

Ivan constantly moved to look at Matthew's picture during his presentation. He couldn’t stop, he wanted to stare at it all day with his complete and unabashed amazement.

When Matthew's turn to speak came Ivan allowed himself to indulge in his staring, it was, stunning. Ivan ignored Matthew's technical descriptions of the piece for the most part and simply absorbed the image with his eyes. The picture was dark, black lines creating the exterior of Ivan's face, they became more like black blurs as eyes would follow towards the center of the image. Even with the darkness, Matthew's picture held a gorgeous serene feeling to it, Ivan's closed eye expression emphasized this as well as the, almost shimmering, light surrounding his being. Ivan loved it, somehow Matthew had conveyed an emotion Ivan thought he had never even seen himself with, calm. He was brought out of his stupor when the picture was brought out of his view and handed to Mr. Vargas, Ivan did the same with his own painting.

Ivan could barely contain the happiness he felt at seeing Matthew’s art. He had been worried for Matthew in the past couple of weeks after their sleepover, as he had not been acting weird, but something felt incredibly off. Maybe it was the dream that had Ivan acting weird, but he couldn’t help feel that Matthew had somehow disliked him more because of their getting together. That Matthew learned something about Ivan that cause Matthew to dislike him like so many others had. Which was very bad seeing as Ivan had come to like Matthew much more after the sleepover, and he wanted Matthew to like him much more as well.

The paintings were possibly the most beautiful answer he could receive that Matthew still liked him, and that he wasn’t off put by Ivan liking him, which filled Ivan with the utmost joy.

* * *

 

Winter break eventually came, and with it, more visits between Matthew and Ivan. Matthew even came to have dinner with Ivan and his family.

It was odd for Ivan, his father happened to be there that evening and so the table was actually full. The man sat at the head of the table, just as he always did on the few night he was actually home for the night, with Matthew and Ivan sitting to his left, and Katyusha and Natalia to his right.

Ivan always knew his father to be a cold man, he felt that is where he got his own coldness towards others, and he didn't think the man would take to Matthew very kindly. Dinner started out tense, it always was with the fourth member of the family there, but Matthew soon took the step forward breaking the silence and starting a more solid conversation. Katyusha joined him with ease, and Ivan eventually added in his own quips and comments, along with Natalia. With time, Ivan found that everyone had joined in the conversation, and the table felt, comfortable. Just like it had at Matthew's own household. Ivan's father seemed almost, fond of Matthew, something he certainly didn't expect, but Matthew seemed to bring warmth to Ivan's cold family. Ivan could feel it, and he loved the feeling.

He loved the feeling Matthew brought very much.


	10. The Mirror in the Attic

It was on one particular visit to Matthew's house that he and Ivan were given a task to do. Francis had asked them to help him clean the attic, it was unexpected for the boys, but they ended up agreeing to it with little protest, how bad could it be to clean an attic?

Evidently worse than thought as Matthew and Ivan currently stood in said attic hunched over due to the low ceiling. Dust flowed throughout the small room as Matthew and Ivan had worked, more and more would join them at every little thing that was moved around. After an hour both boys were beginning to tire, it was hard to breathe in the stuffy room as they lifted the heavy boxes.

Matthew currently stood over a strange chest trying to figure out how he might go about moving it. With no handles and looking too large and heavy for him to simply shove out of the way alone, Matthew elected to ask for help. Francis wasn't in the attic at the moment, he had taken a box full of pictures down to some other room, Ivan voiced his disbelief that they had more pictures after the many that were already in the hallway of the household. He eventually answered Matthew's call for help and both boys looked over the chest. After a moment, they each took a side and began to push the chest together.

The chest had been wedged between to larger boxes and seemed to not want to leave its place. After a three harsh shoves by Matthew and Ivan the chest came loose and they slid it over to another side of the attic closer to the opening. They both took a moment to catch their breath hunched over the heavy chest they just moved.

They straightened up and Matthew made his way back towards where they had moved the chest, Ivan followed him. The same object had caught their eyes; it was large, even at an angle, the dusty cloth that covered it gave the object an eerie feel to it.

"What is that?" Ivan asked, hoping Matthew would know what it was.

"...I'm, not sure," Matthew said looking over the object with as much curiosity as Ivan. He felt a pull to the object, and in the pull a wide variety of feelings, fear, excitement, and deep within him, he felt recognition.

With a cautious hand, Matthew reached up and grabbed part of the cloth, a gentle pull made the cloth fall off of the object easily. It landed on the ground with an unceremonious flop throwing up a large amount of dust. Ivan and Matthew coughed and clenched their eyes shut while trying to wave the dust away. It took a minute until the dust finally cleared up enough for them to see what they had uncovered.

What they saw wasn't something either thought they would find. A large mirror stood where they uncovered the object, reflecting Matthew and Ivan's image. The mirror was tall, from floor to ceiling at an angle in the attic and looked over both of them imposingly.

Upon revealing the mirror, Matthew felt an even greater pull to it. He finally realized what it was, a portal, like the many his father had told him about.

Matthew reached up to touch the mirror, when he touched the reflective glass, instead of staying cold and unmoving like glass did, ripples went through it as if the mirror was made of water. The touch sent the largest wave of fear and longing through Matthew, in the touch he immediately knew where this portal lead.

* * *

 

Ivan looked to Matthew, seeing if he had any kind of answers as to why the glass rippled like water instead of staying still. Mirrors weren't supposed to do that were they? Matthew kept his eyes glued to the mirror though, his expression changing to that of interest.

Ivan didn't know what about this mirror pulled to him. He felt a terrifying recognition, like a death he has experienced but did not remember. He wanted to run as far away from it as he could.

Ivan watched as Matthew dragged his fingers across the surface and stuck his hand through the glass. More ripples echoing around his submerged arm.

"Matvey!" Ivan exclaimed. That wasn't supposed to happen, mirrors weren't supposed to do that.

"Ivan," Matthew answered back calmly.

"Why it that mirror, why are you?" Ivan couldn't keep his thoughts together through his confusion, "Matvey, what is going on?"

"Do you-" Matthew stopped himself and hesitated. Ivan could tell that he knew the answer but was contemplating whether or not to tell him. After a deep breath, Matthew continued, "Ivan do you feel a pull to the mirror too?"

"I…" Ivan wasn't sure where Matthew was going with this, if Matthew felt the same pull to the mirror, surely he felt the dread of death with it as well, "Yes, I do. Matvey, why do I-we, feel this pull to the mirror?"

"The mirror is a portal," Matthew murmured breathlessly.

"A portal?" Ivan asked with utter disbelief. Did Matthew actually hear himself?

"Yes, a magic portal," Matthew answered plainly, his arm still in the mirror, Ivan was beginning to get worried.

"To where?" Ivan, despite his better judgement, decided to play along with Matthew's frightening game.

"Home," Matthew said looking at Ivan with tired but happy look before grabbing Ivan with his spare arm and dragging him into the apparent portal.

"Wait! Matvey we don-" But Ivan couldn't finish his protests before his was surrounded by a bright light.

* * *

 

Francis sat on the living room couch, sorting through a box of pictures he had found, getting distracted from the task on hand to clean the attic. Smiling as he came across a picture of him and Arthur together, said English man came into the living room from his study. He stretched and walked over to his husband, curious about the object the man held in his hand. Peering over Francis' shoulder, Arthur's eyes met the picture the other held, his lips quivered in memory of when it was taken. He and Francis had gotten more used to the strange and unknown technology.

"Where did you find this picture?" Arthur eventually asked.

Francis turned around to look at the man, he already knew he was there, Francis could hear his footsteps as he approached him and his breath behind him. "I found them in the attic," he said with a smile.

"The attic? What were you doing up there?" Arthur inquired. It was rare for Francis to go into the dusty room.

"I felt it needed to be cleaned. I'm getting help from Matthieu and Ivan," Francis answered but frowned at Arthur's noise of discontent "What is it?"

"..Are, Matthew and Ivan up there now?"

"Oui, they're alone actually, it was just the three of us cleaning it..." Francis didn't like Arthur's reaction to this, "Is there something wrong?"

"The mirror," Arthur whispered, "The mirror is up there."

Francis' eyes bugged out in understanding, "Oh no..."

Both men locked eyes for a moment, worry passing between them, before they jumped up and all but ran for the attic in panic. Squishing into the narrow stairway together, Francis and Arthur moved as fast as they could to reach the attic. They turned sharply to the left heading down the hallway to their bedroom, Arthur managed to reach the room first and immediately made a right for his closet, Francis following close behind. The extendable stairs that lead from the master closet to the attic were still down and Arthur rushed up them as fast as he could. Popping his head into the attic entrance he froze. Francis squeezed up next to him and stopped as well.

The mirror Arthur had mentioned looked at the men almost menacingly. Its cloth cover had been pulled off and lazily left on the ground. Arthur and Francis began to look around the attic to see if either teen was still there, but the room was empty. Arthur was the first to climb up all the way into the room, he headed straight over to the mirror and put his hand up to it, Francis quickly following the movements. The mirror did nothing besides reflect Francis and Arthur's image.

"They've entered it... The portal sealed..." Arthur murmured growing more and more exasperated.

"How much time until everyone is transported back to our world?" Francis could barely comprehend what was going to happen.

"Five minutes, at most. Where's Alfred?" Arthur asked, already heading back down to his and Francis' room.

"He's at a friend's house," Francis quickly followed after his husband.

"Who's house!?" Arthur shrieked.

"Uh-uhm, I-Ivan's I think," Francis grew more panicked at Arthur's reaction.

"Are you sure? You have to be sure, we can't be separated during the transportation, she'll use that to her advantage."

"Yes! I am sure" Francis yelled. He reach under his side of the bed and pulled a sword out from underneath.

"We have to be quick," Arthur finalized while reaching under his own side of the bed, he pulled out a finely polished stick as it would look to those who didn't know it's real purpose. The wand glowed softly at Arthur's touch.

Arthur popped into Alfred's room for a moment and grabbed a dagger that was hung on the wall. When he came out Francis was already by the front door, impatience showing. Both men shoved their shoes on as quickly as they could before launching out the front door of their house.

Neither spoke again until they reached their destination. Without a moment to lose for being respectful, Francis kicked down the front door of the household, startling everyone from within.

* * *

 

Katyusha was at the stairs when the men came crashing into her home, she nearly fell over at the intrusion. What was going on? She panicked as they rushed past her and left her line of view into the living room and possibly outside to the backyard where Alfred and her sister were. Nearly stumbling down the stairs, Katyusha saw her father lurch out of his seat from the dining room, looking calm but his eyes had widened considerably at the sudden intruders. She whipped around the corner to see the men approach the back door where Alfred and Natalya were easily seen.

It wasn't until she heard Alfred shriek "Dad?! Pops?! What are you doing here?!" That Katyusha finally calmed down a bit. Though her fear for the men still held, these were Alfred and Matvey's parents? Why were they kicking down her door? Where they going to hurt Alfred and her family? Wasn't Ivan at their house now? Where was he? What did they do to him?

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?!" Katyusha's father barked from his place at the table, he didn't move.

"No time to explain monsieur!" The taller man frantically answered.

"Terribly sorry about the sudden intrusion, we really need our son now though. Alfred, take this, and take hold of us, we're going to be leaving very soon," Alfred's other father thrust the dagger into his son's hand before taking his free hand and grasping it tightly. What were they going to do with him? Katyusha didn't know but the weapons frightened her, they looked ready to hurt her family.

"Wait what!?" Was all Alfred mustered back while tightly grasping the dagger given to him.

"You might want to hold onto each other too," Alfred's father said looking at Natalya and Katyusha's father while taking a tight hold of his husband's hand and linking arms with his son.

Katyusha finally entered the room completely, but felt herself freeze as both men locked eyes with his in utter shock. She squirmed under their gazes as they looked her over in a frightened way. Where they planning to do something with her?

Natalya quickly moved towards her and grabbed onto Katyusha's arm as her father put his hand on her shoulder too, but they gave her little comfort as she continued to stare at the men who stared back and began to glow. The taller man's words sent the most terrifying shiver up her back as they were encapsulated in a bright white light.

"You're still alive?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, Let me tell ya' the next chapter is a doozy.  
> If you read the original version of this there was heavy implications towards Amebela, but I don't really ship that anymore and so I've scrapped most all of it in this version. Also 'cause it felt too distracting to the story I was actually telling, nothing ever came from it, I remember that much.


	11. Broken Boy's Reccollection

Ivan practically screamed as he and Matthew were surrounded by a bright light from the portal. Every piece of him felt like it was being stretched in a terrible way, but as soon as it has begun, it stopped, and they fell to the floor surrounded by a suffocating darkness.

Ivan was thoroughly lost as to what had just happened and why it happened. He had no clue where they were, he needed Matthew, but in the confusion of the light Matthew had let go of his hand.

"Matvey?” He hissed as quietly as his panic would allow him.

“Holy shit,” he heard Matthew murmur to his right.

“Matvey,” Ivan felt a small burst of anger as it occurred to him that everything that had just happened was Matthew’s fault, “What the hell?”

“We..” Matthew slowed and Ivan heard him let out a small groan, and then a sigh of relief, “We’re back.”

“Back where?!”

“…Back home,” Ivan saw a light shine from Matthew’s direction, illuminating his back in a soft orange glow and softly fading before a brighter glow surrounded them.

Ivan gaped as the room they were in was illuminated by an unknown light source. The room was small with walls lined by shelves. Each shelf was stacked with what looked to be old scrolls and worn books. He looked to Matthew for any kind of answer, but Matthew was too was observing their surroundings.

“Dad’s scroll room,” Ivan heard Matthew whisper in breathless realization.

Before Ivan could ask what Matthew meant by that he realized where they were, he remembered this place; it was shown to him by Matthew, weeks, no years ago. As soon as the memory was there it left and was replaced by many thousands of other memories.

Ivan suddenly remembered everything.

His memories came to him like a storm. In them he remembered how he was a prince of the Kingdom of the Far North, and how Matthew too was the crowned prince to a neighboring kingdom. He remembered how he used to play knight until he actually learned how to wield a sword. He remembers sitting through long boring lessons in how to lead the kingdom with his sisters. He remembers meeting Matthew and his family in attempt for their kingdoms to form an alliance.

He remembers how he and Matthew became fast friends, and how they spent much of their time together following their initial meeting. And he remembers how he fell in love with Matthew, slowly, beautifully, and with an awkward confession of their feelings they began to properly court each other. Ivan felt himself smile at the memories, that was right, he loved Matthew, that’s what he was feeling before, in that alternate world, love.

He remembered how Matthew would look at him with so much love, much to the dismay of a certain woman, and he remembered the pain he felt when Matthew looked at him in fear and distrust.

And with horror he remembers why.

“Katyusha,” Ivan breathed out, bringing his hand to his face.

He remembered that his elder sister was dead, and that it was by his hand. No, he remembers, he remembers that it was Carieve who had used her magic in a sinful way to make him do it. He remembers how she made him kill his own sister. He let out a sob at the memory. He remembers everything, how Carieve had cursed him so that he could not say anything about what really happened, his trial and how no one believed his claims that he didn’t do it no matter how much he cried and pleaded with them. He remembers how his heart lurched when not even Matthew believed him, and the hollowness he felt when he was not allowed to attend his elder sister’s wake or funeral from his prison. No one came to talk to him while he was in prison, not even his younger sister.

Ivan held himself tighter at the memories, he had lived many years since that incident, but his resurfacing memories reminded him that all of it had happened a mere two weeks ago. Old memories swirled with new of both lives in which he had lived, but the horrible recollection of Katyusha’s murder and his trial were most prevalent. He wanted them to go away, he wanted the blissful ignorance he had in his second life, and he wanted to be with Matthew.

Ivan looked up from his position on the ground where he had curled into himself, through teary vision he saw Matthew, staring at the ground in distress as he too was receiving all of his memories. Ivan wanted some closure from him but he couldn’t, Matthew wouldn’t believe him, he didn’t before why would he now? He couldn’t even tell Matthew the truth if he wanted to.

Could he? Did his curse transcend his lives? He didn’t even know why everyone had gone into another world and lived new lives for so long, all he knew was that the memories of his first life stopped when a tornado came crashing through the walls of his cell shortly before he was encapsulated in a bright light similar to the one when they went through the mirror portal.

A tiny flicker of hope that was immediately smashed by fear passed through him. His curse might be gone; he might be able to tell someone, to tell _Matthew_ , the truth. Even if it was a small chance, he wanted to try, one more time, for the possibility of Matthew to believe him, for the possibility of being able to be with Matthew again like he had in his lives previous.

“C-carieve,” He stuttered out, his dread barely letting him articulate himself.

Matthew looked up at Ivan for the first time and Ivan was met face to face with Matthew’s fear, his fear for Ivan and what he, no, what she had made him do. Ivan forced himself to finish, curse or not he needed to try.

“Carieve, she made me do it,” Ivan let out a shallow laugh at hearing himself finally say it, he could barely hold back the tears that came with the confession, “She made me kill Katyusha. She used her magic to take hold of my body and she made me watch as I-she killed Katyusha, and then she cursed me so that I could not tell anyone about the truth. She made do it …I swear.”

Ivan looked up at Matthew in fearful anticipation to his response. To his dismay he saw distrust cross Matthew’s face before his brows knit together in thought. Ivan could not know what the thoughts of disgust crossed his mind where specifically but he found himself hoping and waiting for some kind of verbal response from Matthew, anything.

Finally Matthew’s contemplation came to an end as he looked straight into Ivan’s eyes with determination of all things. Ivan knew he was going to speak, but he did not know what words would come from Matthew.

He said the most beautiful thing Ivan could ever hear in all his years.

“I believe you Ivan.”

Ivan barely choked back a sob before he completely broke down.

He needed that. He needed to hear that years ago, when he was standing trial and no one _would_ believe him. He needed to hear that when Matthew rejected him, he needed to hear that when _she_ taunted him with the truth not long after the murder of his sister. And he needed that now when he was here with Matthew, remembering all of these horrible things that had happened to him.

Matthew had taken Ivan into his arms as he bawled his eyes out. Ivan clung to Matthew like a life line as he couldn’t stop his shaking. He barely felt Matthew’s hair brush against the back on his neck as Matthew bowed his head towards Ivan.

“I’m so sorry I ever doubted you.” He heard Matthew whisper.

* * *

 

With Ivan crying in his arms Matthew couldn’t help but feel an immense amount of regret. How could he ever doubt Ivan? Ivan, who was blunt and odd and charming in the most peculiar of ways. Ivan who could not hide his feelings for somebody and only loved with all his heart. How could he have actually believed that Ivan would actually kill his sister, whom he loved and cared for immensely.

Matthew’s thoughts once again turned sour at the memory of Carieve. Carieve who scarcely made her intentions known, who acted herself out with unnaturally smooth poise. Carieve who hid the emotions she deemed weak, and who spoke more than she probably should have about ruling the kingdom alongside Matthew. Carieve, who lied to him every night during his dream visits of what she did, and hid her destruction of the castle.

Murder. Another terrible deed to add to her list as he recalled how she had caused everyone to escape into the other world. The destruction of castle with her tornado of magic, her threat to kill everyone and her demand for the power of the throne. He remembered how Carieve had become more and more aggravated with him as he and Ivan grew closer, how she bothered and pestered him during his depression from Ivan’s imprisonment, and eventually became fed up with him and demanded blood. More blood evidently.

Matthew, once again, felt like a fool for ever trusting her.

“Ivan,” He spoke softly, so as not to startle Ivan.

A quiet intake of breath was his response, Ivan may have calmed down enough to stop shaking but his distress was still very raw.

“Ivan, we need to…” They needed to do something, something that would amend for what had happened.

“We need to destroy her,” Ivan hissed out, his grip on Matthew’s shirt had loosened.

Matthew wanted to disagree and be the pacifist he normally was, but something deep within him was too angry, and he couldn’t help but agree. Carieve deserved no pardons.

They slowly pulled apart and stood together. Ivan, though having previously been distressed and sobbing, held a new resolve as he stood up straight and balled his fists up. Matthew did the same as he turned towards the door that he knew led to Arthur’s study, the last place he and his family fled to before the spell was performed and saved everyone by sending them to the other world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The original version of this chapter, that I never posted because I forgot about it from my amputation, had a dragon!New Zealand explaining everything. But there wasn’t as much emotional turmoil in that chapter as in this one, so that version was scrapped.  
> This chapter was one of my favorites to write, right up there with chapter 4. If you enjoyed it as much as I did, please leave a review!


	12. Three Blades

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter! How exciting!

Arthur’s study was empty. Void of people now and probably having been void of people over the past month that everyone had been gone. Carieve had not been here, she probably couldn’t even come in with the protection spell Arthur had put around the room. Her magic was strong but Arthur knew more tricks.

Matthew made his way into the study with Ivan close behind him.

“I believe, we need to head to the ballroom,” Matthew finally broke their silence.

Ivan looked at him in question and Matthew remembered that Ivan had been in prison when the fight with Carieve had broken out. He wondered briefly if that day would have gone much different with Ivan there.

“That was where Carieve would wait for me each night I would visit her in her dreams, it is the best place to start,” Matthew elaborated.

“I need a weapon Matvey, and so do you. We cannot go into this blindly.”

Matthew nodded. They were about to leave the study and find the armory when a light flashed from the middle of the room.

There stood Matthew’s family, his fathers and Alfred all standing together and grasping onto one another in a panic.

“Matthieu!” Francis cried out in relief.

Before Matthew could respond though, an earth shattering scream ripped through the castle. It held a great deal of pain and Ivan felt his heart stop.

“Katyusha,” he murmured.

Ivan wanted to rush to her but stopped himself, his back rigid, he turned slowly to face Matthew’s family.

They didn’t look angry at him, though Alfred had a dazed look as he too gained his memories back.

“Papa, dad, before you say anyth-”

But Matthew’s explanation was cut off by Francis tossing his sword to Ivan, whom caught it easily.

“She’s your fight before anything,” Francis answered Ivan and Matthew’s confused looks, “Both of your fights.”

Matthew and Ivan shared a look of understanding whilst Arthur grabbed a couple of crossed swords off of the wall. He handed one to Matthew and the other to Alfred who had lost his daze and stared at the sword handed to him with recognition but also confusion.

“It’s time to destroy Carieve,” Arthur murmured to the whole of the group.

“It is time to receive justice,” Ivan growled low to himself, shoving open the door to the rest of the castle.

* * *

 

They made their way through the halls as a small group unit with Ivan and Matthew leading far ahead to the ballroom.

Why are we following _him,_ ” Alfred whispered for only his parents to hear.

“Because Matthew trusts him,” Francis whispered back.

“Before we were transported back home, Matthew and Ivan came back first through a mirror portal that activated everyone’s return. They’ve had at least a few minutes to regain their memories and reconcile for what happened before the rest of us,” Arthur further explained, neither Matthew nor Ivan listening to them, “Matthew obviously trusts him, after whatever explanation must have been offered. Look.”

Alfred did look, and he saw how his brother and Ivan walked closely together, almost brushing against each other. He didn’t flinch away like before when it was revealed that Ivan had murdered his sister. Which begged the question, what explanation could Ivan give for that? That he didn’t commit the murder? All the evidence clearly pointed to Ivan, there was no way that he could not have committed the crime unless magic was involved- oh shit.

Carieve.

She really was a crazy bitch.

It made so much more sense, she hated Ivan even more than Alfred did initially. And she had more than enough means with the power that her magic possessed. Alfred never liked her, she was too intent on having Matthew like her. She was too intent on marrying Matthew and becoming queen.

If Alfred had the chance he wanted to kill her, for Matthew’s sake.

* * *

 

They reached the bottom of the stairs and crossed the small hallway before throwing open the doors of the ballroom. Many people stood in the ballroom frantically looking about themselves and yelling out for loved ones that had been separated, they all stopped silent for a moment and turned to the royal family and Ivan. A great mix of worry and relief spread across faces of the crowd. The people began yelling out to the royal family, asking about what was going on, but were quickly silenced as the sound of heels on marble echoed out much louder than they naturally would through the ballroom.

Heads turned the other direction to face the stairs that the noise echoed from. At the middle platform where the stairs conjoined stood Carieve, hair disheveled and eyes sunken in with a glare that intended to kill anyone and everyone in their sight. And they landed right on Matthew and Ivan.

Ivan clenched his fists as the anger that had been boiling deep within him suddenly increased tenfold.

“Carieve!” He screamed out at her.

“Yes?” she answered with a cruel uninterested grin, as if Ivan was nothing to her.

“You killed my sister, Katyusha Braginskaya. You killed her by taking possession of my body and forcing me to kill her and cast a curse on me that made it so that I could not tell of what you did,” It felt so good, so good to say it. To say it to her face and to say it in front of the masses.

She frowned realizing that her curse had been broken, but acted as if it had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience to her. The crowds whispered among themselves, unsure of the validity of Ivan’s statement.

“So I did,” She commented offhandedly, an array of shocked murmurs increased throughout the room, “What are you to do of it now that she’s dead though?”

“Carieve on behalf of the people of the Seven Kingdoms, I, Prince Mathew of the Northern Sea, shall see that you are arrested and atone for your crimes of the endangerment of my people and the murder of the Kingdom of the Black Sea’s Queen, Katyusha Braginskaya,” Matthew followed after.

Carieve waited patiently for Matthew to finish, her frown and glare remaining constant throughout his address. When he finished, Ivan saw her frown deepen and Matthew suddenly tense, she was going to attack.

With a simple flick of her hand a bright bolt of energy went shooting out at Matthew and Ivan, the people had since made a clearing between the three and the bolt went straight for them without any obstacles to block its path. They crouched and Matthew quickly manifested a magic shield and threw it up to block the bolt. It hit the shield and ricocheted off and into the ceiling of the ballroom. With a fantastic blast and a collective scream of the people following shortly after, the magic bolt impacted the ceiling and sent out a huge wave of dust in its place that rained down on the many persons standing underneath it.

Carieve’s frown deepened as Matthew’s shield dissolved. Ivan knelt and pulled the sword Francis had given him out of its sheath ready to attack, but his muscles tensed and Ivan felt his back go rigid as Matthew and his bodies were pulled across the ballroom towards Carieve. The toes of their shoes dragged across the smooth marble floor and shrieked as they stopped right before her at the base of the stairs. They were dropped unceremoniously to the ground.

Ivan was about to jump up and launch himself at Carieve when he heard someone quietly through the masses.

“Big brother,” he turned in the direction of the voice and saw his younger sister Natalia. Next to her stood his father, grasping her hand and staring intently at Ivan. But Ivan couldn’t concern himself with that as he saw one other near them that made his heart lurch.

It was none other than his elder sister Katyusha, looking in his direction, with her two hands clasped together in concern. She was very much alive, but she had an odd light to her, as if she was faded and not as “present” as everyone else was. He could almost see through her. Ivan wanted to go to her, and see if she was alright but a shield formed between Matthew, Carieve, he, and the rest of the occupants of the ballroom.

Ivan saw as many of the people rushed up to and began banging on the wall of the shield. Sadik, Katyusha’s husband, being the most furious of them as he was as blissfully unaware as everyone else about her still being alive.

Ivan’s attention was jerked backed to Carieve as their surroundings were suddenly changed from that of the ballroom to an estranged study he didn’t recognize.

Matthew sent his own bolt of energy which Carieve easily deflected. Ivan tried to stand and use the sword he had against her but his body froze as his eyes met hers. No, not again.

Ivan stood but against his own accord, and he felt himself panic at the memory of this happening before. Matthew looked at him in worry and tried to attack Carieve again but was quickly thrown off as Ivan dropped his sword and was launched at him.

He grabbed Matthew’s neck and began to squeeze. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. He didn’t want to do this, not again, not to Matthew. He couldn’t hold in his tears at the horror of seeing Matthew choke under his hands. The tears blurred his vision but could still feel Mathew’s hands struggle to release his own, he could still hear Matthew’s strangled gasps and desperate attempts to talk.

“You- you have to f-fight it, Ivan,” Ivan heard.

“It’s a shame you know,” Carieve’s voice came from the side where she was casually observing and controlling them, hearing it made Ivan burn and he seized up his body as much as he could, it barely helped, “I really did love you Matthew.”

Matthew said nothing but gripped Ivan’s hand’s tighter and took the few shallow breaths he could.

“You could have loved me back. It would have been so much easier that way you know,” she continued and pushed harder on Ivan’s mind so that he couldn’t stop her, “But nooo, you just had to go and fall for Mr. Ivan, you couldn’t give me this one thing.”

Matthew’s nails dug into Ivan’s hands as he wrenched them loose enough to take a deep breath, Ivan could feel any pain beyond the screaming in his head though.

“And even after he was a convicted murderer you couldn’t accept me,” Carieve was rambling, Ivan could tell, he had a small amount of control over his body but it was masked by the intense throbbing of Carieve’s magic forcing itself into his mind. Ivan grit his teeth, it was getting harder not to scream out at the pain in his head, “You had to go and be sad and whiny and you just couldn’t let me be the one to take his place!”

Matthew was the one to scream first, he let out a huge wave of magic that threw everyone to the edges of the room with a loud whoosh followed by a bang that briefly and violently severed the control Carieve had over Ivan. Ivan’s ears were ringing and he tried to use the moment he could move his body again to make his attack on Carieve, but he could barely bring himself to stand up. Through his blurred vision he saw Matthew and Carieve at opposite ends of the room from him, each of them swaying and also unable to get up from their places next to the wall.

Ivan swore he heard voices through the ringing but barely paid attention to them as he forced himself to sit up and grab the sword Matthew had before it was blown over near Ivan. Carieve had begun to stand while still leaning heavily on the wall and taking many ragged breaths.

“You-” She growled but was cut off by her own yell of pain as Ivan hurled the sword at her. It sliced her leg deeply and clattered on the wall behind her.

This proved only to anger her more as she slammed Ivan on the ground with her magic, a crazed grin stretching wildly across her face.

“Fine, let’s play this another way,” She hissed and looked in Matthew’s direction, Ivan’s gazed followed hers as much as they could from being pinned on the ground.

Matthew had barely managed to pull himself and grab the dagger on the desk next to him, the release spell having obviously cost him a lot of energy. Matthew’s eyes widened as Carieve took hold of his body. His back went rigid and his grip tightened on the dagger in hand. Carieve dragged his body across the ground to where Ivan was pinned, her hands following their movement as she wasn’t strong enough at the moment to simply use her mind. Matthew was poised over Ivan, the dagger leered over his neck in a most dramatic way.

No, no, no, no, this was much worse. He never wanted Matthew to go through the same thing he went through. Ivan felt tears fall onto his face and barely managed to crane his neck enough to look Matthew in the eye. He immediately regretted it when he saw the pain in Matthew’s teary eyes, and forced himself to look at the dagger instead.

Of all things, Ivan saw Katyusha flash through the dagger, his stomach squeezed at the memory, though it was different, warped. Katyusha was the one to kill now, sword in her hand and body crouched. Ivan forced his eyes shut; of course he would see her again in his dying hour, in that strange faded light she possessed earlier, it was only proper that he die by the hand of a loved one just as she had. Ivan braced himself for the dagger to his neck, taking a deep breath as a futile way to calm his shaking nerves.

Ivan felt himself jump as a multitude of screams were let out from what sounded like Matthew, Carieve, and Katyusha, and the dagger clattered out of Matthew’s hand onto the ground right before his face. It barely grazed Ivan’s nose. His eyes popped open and saw the dagger lay before him and Matthew’s hand slam to the ground as he caught himself from falling onto Ivan. Carieve’s grip on them had been severed just as violently as before, but how? Matthew and Ivan were pinned and no one else could enter the study with the shield surrounding them.

Ivan turned his head slowly to Carieve’s direction. The image that greeted him was so surreal, like a painting. Carieve stood, back arched with eyes wide and staring blankly at the ceiling, blood dribbled from the corner of her mouth and Ivan looked to her middle where the sword Francis had given to him was protruding. Behind her was Katyusha, thrusting the sword as deep as she could into Carieve with what looked to be every ounce of her strength.

Katyusha stopped moving forward and Carieve’s body slumped with the motion, her eyes still wide and looking down at the large amount of blood pouring from the wound in her middle. She dropped to the ground as Katyusha let go of the sword’s handle with a heavy sigh, Carieve’s body slumped to the ground limply and the light in her eyes finally faded.

He looked at Katyusha who stared down at her hands and Carieve’s body with a small amount of fear. It was quickly replaced by curiosity and joy as Ivan saw Katyusha’s light return, she was becoming whole again, no longer faded. Katyusha let out a small sob of joy as she too realized that she was “becoming alive” again.

And with a shuttering relief he realized that Carieve was dead. Her light fading as her life was now given to Katyusha.

Ivan heard a shaky inhale of breath from above him and he brought himself to look at Matthew from where he was perched over Ivan on the floor. Ivan hurt when he saw Matthew crying so heavily, a hand over his mouth and barely wiping his tears away in time for them not to fall on Ivan again. He twisted his body slowly so that it was facing upright from his position on the floor, not willing to try and sit up yet, and slowly reached his arms up to Matthew. They wrapped gently behind his neck and back and slowly brought Matthew closer to him. Matthew’s body complied and his head touched Ivan’s chest as Ivan’s head touched his.

They both took a deep breath from their awkward but comforting position on the ground.

“We’re alive,” Ivan heard himself murmur against Matthew’s collarbone, “We’re safe.”

“She’s dead,” Matthew whispered with horror.

Ivan felt a pang of anger at hearing that but quickly shooed it away. Matthew was a pacifist, Ivan knew that, and Matthew believed that nobody deserved to die, especially not someone who acted as his friend for so long.

“We’re okay,” Ivan reassured as he slowly released Matthew and watched him rise to his perch above Ivan. Matthew’s eyes were red but they had at least stopped their constant flow of tears.

At a painstakingly slow pace Ivan lifted himself into a sitting position eventually with the help of Matthew behind him. They leaned on each other and looked towards Carieve’s dead body and Katyusha’s shaking glee.

“You’re okay,” Ivan said with the utmost relief and joy.

Katyusha turned towards them as if she had forgotten their presence in her joy for being fully alive again, and knelt towards them. With each arm she grabbed them in a tight hug that made them both hiss out in pain.

“Oh sorry!” Katyusha leaned back from their hug but kept her hands on each of their outer shoulders as a way to keep them steady, “I’m just so happy to see you, and to be alive and to see that you both okay.”

“I, we’re happy to see you too,” Ivan answered slowly for both of them.

“How did you find us and get past Carieve’s shield?” Matthew asked the question on both of their minds.

“I’m am not sure, but I have a feeling that it has to do with my not being fully alive yet, the dead aren’t affected by magic like the living,” Katyusha said with an eerie wisdom, Ivan felt himself flinch at her slightly pained laugh.

“Katyusha,” Ivan whispered as she began to look to the ground forlornly, head perked up and she looked Ivan in the eyes, making him more nervous about the question he was about to ask, “Are you, okay? As in… are you okay, with me? After…”

Ivan trailed off, looking away from both his loved ones in preference to observe his legs.

“Ivan,” Katyusha began sliding her hands off of their shoulders and into her lap, they swayed slightly before steadying themselves on each other once again, “When I, when I was being killed,” Ivan and Matthew winced at actually hearing it, “I never once saw your face, it was only her face that I saw. I- I’m so sorry you had to do that Ivan.”

She pulled them into another softer hug as all of their families entered from the same door as Katyusha.

“They’re okay!” Ivan heard Francis call out to whoever was not in room.

“And her?” A disembodied voice called back.

Arthur took a step forwards and knelt to Carieve’s body, his hand glowed as recited a small chant and everyone held their breath awaiting his answer. The glowing stopped and Arthur called out to everyone inside and outside of the room.

“She’s dead,” A sigh swept through everyone at the answer.

Ivan once again closed his eyes and just let himself enjoy the warmth of his sister and Matthew, and all of their other family who was kneeling and joining in the hug. He relaxed his mind as much as he could; the worst part was over for him.

* * *

 

In the following weeks much had been done to restore the balance of the castle and the people. Ivan was retried for the murder of Katyusha and the record was set straight as to who really killed her that night. Physical restorations were made to the castle in what had been destroyed by Carieve’s magic. Many people of the castle and the kingdom were readjusting to not having many of the technologies they had in the other life and to the casual practice of magic.

Sadik, relieved to know that his wife was alive, returned with her to the Kingdom of the Black Sea, to rule alongside her once again. The rest of Ivan’s family returned to the Far Northern Kingdom, but Ivan, by the pardon of his father and Kings of the Northern Sea, elected to stay behind in order to amend his relationship with Matthew.

It had been slow and shy, just as they had done in both of their lives. They they found it easy to talk to each other again in no time, becoming best friends once more and quickly falling in love with each other all over again.

Matthew never stopped loving Ivan, through both of their lives together, he may not have known it at the time, but he loved Ivan from very early on of their being friends. He sighed as he looked down at the drawing sitting in his lap. One thing they brought from their other life was their love for art, and it had been a wonderful basis to rebuild their relationship off of, drawing and painting together brought a wonderful sense of peace to Matthew.

He truly loved Ivan, so why did he feel so nervous now? It couldn’t be that hard to ask him.

Matthew looked up from his drawing in thought; Ivan took note from how they leaned on each other, and shifted to sit up straighter.

“Are you done?” Ivan asked casually, it was nice being casual with each other again.

“I am, are you?” Matthew answered knowing Ivan wasn’t, but would still want to see what Matthew drew.

“Not quite, but show me what you drew,” Matthew smiled at the answer.

He picked up the parchment and handed it to Ivan who grasped it gently between his fingers.

“A ring?” Ivan asked and Matthew felt nervous.

“Sorry it’s not a real ring, I, I lost the original unfortunately, well Carieve stole it and hid it, and I mean, I do still want to marry you. That is, um… if you’ll have me,” Matthew felt himself choke from his rambling, stars above this was as hard as the first three times. Matthew realized he looked like an idiot giving Ivan a piece of paper and asking him to marry him.

“Really?” Ivan finally asked incredulously. Against his better judgement, Matthew peeked at Ivan from the side of his eyes.

Ivan was smiling, shy and adorable, just as Matthew knew him. He felt his confidence grow at the smile.

“Yes, I really- yes. Ivan I still want to marry you, do you, um, do you want to marry me?”

“Still?” Ivan raised his eyebrow at the thought, “You never asked me before.”

“Well, I tried. At least three times I had tried. But every time I was interrupted, and then everything happened, and you were thrown into jail and-”

Matthew was stopped by Ivan shifting around to face him and gently placing his hand on Matthew’s cheek. He looked up at Ivan’s warm gaze.

“It would be an honor to marry you, Matvey,” Ivan answered softly with a smile.

They leaned forwards and brought their lips together in a gentle kiss that made Matthew’s heart rush in the best way. He loved Ivan he undeniably and truly loved Ivan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's done!  
> To those of you who followed this story after I cleaned it all up (I scrapped 4 chapters and nearly 7,000 words from all of the chapters I kept) and began to actually update, I hope this has been a pleasant few months for you to read and follow the last few chapters of this story. And to those of you who have the discovered the story only after its completion, I hope you had a lovely read for the night or few days depending on how long it took you.


End file.
